Roomies
by GladiatorGoddess
Summary: Richard dies in a car accident, leaving a torn and homeless family behind. Lois and Jason decide to stay at Clark's house while she gets back on her feet. So,so sorry, DELAYED.
1. Kitty and Clark

Sorry about Richard, but he's a nice guy, and I couldn't really think of any other way to seperate him and Lois without him looking bad. And of course he needed to go, he's standing in between Superman and Lois!

Disclaimer- I don't own Superman

A tear dropped from Lois's eye as she stood over the grave of her late fiancé. Jason, huddling close to his mother, was outright sobbing. Lois dabbed at her eyes. With Richard dead, there was no way she could support Jason on her medium-wage job. Of course she made a good amount of money, but she wanted to send Jason to a private school and then a private high-school, and it wouldn't work on her job as a news reporter, still paying off debts for the new boat she and Richard had bought.

Lois hated thinking about money at the time. The love of her life was dead! Well, I guess Superman is still alive, but…

Lois smacked herself mentally. It hurt. Why was she thinking about Superman in the first place? This was all his fault. Jason had accidentally broken the swing set in the backyard, and she and Richard had gotten in a huge argument about whether or not Jason was truly his son. To prove himself right in thinking that Jason was not his son, he had decided to take Jason to the doctor for a DNA test. Of course, Lois knew how that would turn out. She waited anxiously at home for Richard to call at yell at her and leave her. Well, in a way he _had_ left her. On the way to the doctor, an eighteen-wheeler truck ran a red light and smashed the car. I mean, _smashed_ it. It was barely distinguishable as the beautiful blue Porsche they had bought last year.

Oh, God. Lois covered her face with her hands, hoping that insurance could cover the car. They were still paying off for it!

Jason, though, survived the wreck, being the son of Superman. Well, not that he wasn't hurt, he had broken his arm in fact. 'I guess his genes haven't quite kicked in yet,' thought Lois. Well, the point is, he survived and Richard didn't. When she got the call that afternoon, expecting Richard, what she heard was Dr. Roberts. It was the worst moment of her life.

Lois meandered through the rest of her day. She walked like a zombie. She talked like a zombie. She even ate like a zombie. Food now tasted like sand. Her eyes were rimmed with everlasting red, and tears came regularly. Co-workers tried to comfort her, and Lois appreciated their efforts, but what good were they? They didn't feel the loss, the pain. The worst they felt was the occasional loss of a dead cat. Usually run over by the owner of the cat.

Miserably, Lois sold her house and the majority of their belongings. Richard had been a very wealthy lawyer, and he had purchased most of their things. Unfortunately, many of the things they had were only partially paid for, and the rest she had to sell to pay off several bills and debts. In the end, she was homeless and nearly broke.

Nothing was fun anymore. Nothing caught Jason's interest as he watched the other first-graders play with their clay and crayons. All he could think about was how he would never see Richard again, and what he could have possibly done to prevent this. Maybe he could have begged him not to go, or hidden the car keys.

To make things worse, Bobby and John, the school bullies, were constantly stealing his lunch money, not that Jason felt even the slightest urge to eat. Things got harder for him day after day. Also, he didn't know why they couldn't stay in their nice home anymore. They had to sleep in a small apartment, and he didn't like it at all.

Lois held her head in pain. Her migraine was killing her, and she needed to find a place to stay, fast. She was already falling into debt with the hotel, and she needed a break from spending money. She needed a friend who would let her in…a friend who had always been there for her.

"Clark?" she murmured, feeling shy and ashamed. She remembered only a few months ago, when Clark had come to her asking to stay at her house until he could settle down. She had purposefully avoided him, feeling hurt and angered by his five-year leave. He was her best friend! And, just like Superman, he had left her.

Clark looked up, a slight smile lighting his features. 'He could be handsome,' thought Lois, 'if he'd lose the dorky glasses.'

"Yes, Lois?" he asked cautiously. Since Richard's death, Lois was known to blow up when surprised, so he was careful with what he said.

"I know this may be a little too much to ask…but you know…since Richard…passed away…we have had a little…financial…problems…and I would really appreciate it if…maybe…Jason and I could…well…maybe…stay at your place?" she forced her way through it. Her pride withered, and it really killed her to ask.

Clark felt a swoop somewhere in his stomach, and he could have laughed out loud if he wasn't absolutely positive that Lois would attack him. Then, however, he felt an odd feeling… resentment. Why hadn't she let him stay at her house? Now that the tables were turned, he could smack her down and she would deserve every ounce of humiliation.

But when he looked at her face and saw misery, hopelessness, and grief, he felt ashamed of himself for even thinking about it. He smiled slowly.

"Of course you and Jason can stay," he said, "Just until you can get back on your feet."

Of course, the last part saved the scrap of dignity that Lois still had, and both she and Clark knew why he said that. She leaned over and kissed his cheek gently.

"Thank you."

Clark smacked himself mentally as he soared over the ocean, wearing the vivid blue of Superman. What was he thinking? He didn't have a house! He didn't exactly need one, since he didn't really sleep. All he did at night was fight crime! But he couldn't turn her down, because she'd feel even worse about not letting him stay over.

What to do, what to do…he could always build a house, but he didn't have the slightest idea how. He could always…wait, what was that? He saw a tiny speck moving on an odd little island, and, using his super-vision, he detected two little scraps of heat scampering around on the island, and they definitely weren't animals. All thoughts of getting a house swept from his mind, he soared down to the island.

Kitty stood looking out to sea. This just wasn't fair! All day, and not a single ship! A cruise ship had appeared only yesterday, but she had failed to catch its attention. She even tried building a fire! Her nice dress was in rags, and Scrumptious, her Pomeranian, hadn't had anything to eat all day. The coconuts were gone, and she wasn't quite sure what to do now. Luther hadn't talked to her all day, and she was just plain tired of it. Then, she noticed a blue and red streak in the air.

"SUPERMAN! SUPERMAN!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. Dying from starvation wasn't the number one on her list of things to do that day. Desperation warbled in every note of her voice as she screamed fir her life. Luther suddenly tackled her from behind, and she wailed as her dress tore even more and sand flew into her mouth.

"Kitty, what the hell do you think you're doing?" whispered Lex fiercely. Kitty glared at him.

"Oh, so now you want to talk to me? What does it look like I'm doing, I'm saving us! Oh, oh, now he's never going to see us!" she cried miserably. Pushing to get away from Luther, she let out another forlorn wail. Luther grabbed her mouth, and she screamed into his hand, struggling viciously.

"Shut the goddamn hell up, Kitty! What do you think he's going to do when he finds me! He'll tear me limb from limb! You can't…uh-oh…here he comes!" he whispered, and he released Kitty, diving behind some bushes to hide. Kitty stumbled up the beach to where Superman stood, looking around.

"Oh, oh, please, Superman, please take me away from here! I don't want to die, I really don't, oh please! I promise I'll never, never, ever do anything bad ever again, if you'll only get me off this horrible island!" she whimpered, her eyes as wide as possible. Superman smiled and looked around.

"You can come out, Luther. I see you. X-ray vision, remember?" he called. Nothing happened. Clark smiled. It was so easy when the bad guys punished themselves. He looked back at Kitty. Kitty the pretty, rich girl who didn't realize what she had gotten herself into. Kitty the little brunette who wasn't guilty of any crime. After all, stupidity isn't a crime, though it can hurt people. Wait a minute…rich. An idea popped into Clark's head.

"Katherine, right? You have several houses, don't you?" he asked, smiling a little. Looking breathless, she nodded.

"If I can get you off this island and out of prison, will you let me have one of them? The one in Metropolis?" he asked mildly. She nodded again. He grinned.

"Alright, then let's get out of here. Oh, and if I hear about you getting yourself into any more criminal situations, you're going straight to jail," he said sternly. She gulped and shook her head. Words seemed to be beyond her. He took one last look around the island.

"Hey, Luther, just so you know, I wasn't going to 'tear you from limb to limb.' I was just going to bring you back to Metropolis so you could go to jail. But, alright, if you really want to starve, I won't stop you," he called before grabbing Kitty and flying away. He saw Luther sprint out of hiding out of the corner of his eye, and chuckled. Of course he wouldn't let Luther starve, as much as he deserved it, but it couldn't hurt to scare and frustrate him a little. He would send a plane over later, after Luther panicked a little. After all, he still resented the kryptonite island scheme.

He made sure to drop Kitty off at one of her other houses and informing her to call him when the police tried to arrest her before he headed back to her house in Metropolis. It wasn't suspiciously huge or extravagant, but it was big enough to house several people, and decorated enough to impress Lois. Not that he wanted to.

First, though, he took down all of the pictures and hung a few of his own. Then, he made sure to remove every scrap of lace he could possibly find, which added up to quite a pile. He made sure to stash every feminine appliance or piece of furniture in the attic, and by the time he was done, the house looked like a fairly neat house that a single man with a good job was expected to have. It was perfect.

He closed his eyes, sensing trouble. He heard a faint call…his name! It was definitely Kitty. The cops must have noticed that she was back. With a quick rip and a swoop, he was out of his suit and into his cape. He flew straight out the window and into the clear sky.

"Let me go! Just…just wait a little! He promised he'd come! Oh, Superman! Superman, help!" she called. She felt a growing despair. Maybe he was just humoring her into coming quietly to jail! Oh, the trickery, why wasn't she smart like Luther? Abruptly, all of her doubts vanished when she saw the flash of blue. Superman!

"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" he asked coolly. The police men stopped and stuttered. This was the man that had saved their lives multiple times over!

"Why…why this young lady is arrested for enemy association…she helped to make the island of kryptonite! The one that nearly killed you," added the officer, hoping that Superman was on their side.

"Actually, she saved all of our lives by getting rid of the _other_ crystals so that Luther couldn't try the same trick again and again. So, I am not pressing charges, and you would be wise to put the lady down," he said, watching amusedly as the officers scrambled to put her down.

"And if you try to arrest her again, even if you take her to court, I'll vouch for her. I owe her a lot," he said, and the officers nodded tensely, getting in their cop car and driving away. Kitty smiled shyly at Clark, and he gave her a quick smile and flew off. He had things to do.

* * *

I have some unanswerable questions that I'd like answered, so please leave a review and help me solve them.

1) What does Superman do with his clothes when he tears off his suit to fly off and save people? Does he just drop them off on rooftops and pick them up later?

2) Has anyone found Clark's clothes lying around when Superman is saving somebody? What would their first thought be on finding Clark's clothes lying around?

3) How does he get out of his pants when ripping off his clothes? I'm pretty sure there's no graceful way to wiggle out of your pants, especially since he's wearing shoes and all. Does he just tear them off? Wouldn't that cost a lot to tear off your clothes all the time? I mean, he is only a reporter, and he doesn't get paid for superheroing.

4) How does no one notice him running down the street tearing off his shirt to reveal the super-symbol in that one scene? I mean, sure no one was on the street at the time and everyone was panicking, but this is a city! _Somebody_ had to be looking out their window at that time!

More later, I forgot some. Review please.


	2. The Accident

Disclaimer: don't own Superman...wish I did, but I don't.

Oh, and I assumed that Clark didn't have a house because he was trying to find a place to stay in Superman Returns, so sorry if I had my facts wrong.

* * *

Clark tugged uncomfortably at his neck again. He was so used to wearing a tie that he forgot what it was like to wear casual clothes for this long. Lois, though, might be a little freaked out, though, if she thought that he wore a suit all day. Not that he did, but when he wasn't at work, he was saving the day as Superman.

The house looked very nice. There were actually three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a large living room and a moderately large kitchen. A comfortable den nestled in a corner of the house, complete with a bay window and plump chairs. It was a perfect little nook for Jason to play in. He even went out and got some games for Jason to play, including a sketch pad and crayons that he wrapped up for a gift. He had heard from Lois that Jason enjoyed drawing, so it seemed appropriate.

Lois checked the hotel room one more time. All clothes were packed and whatever random household supplies she had were neatly stored in a bag. She smiled wanly when she saw Jason, holding a large suitcase and his stuffed elephant, Foots. He was struggling to lift the heavy bag, and trying not to drop Foots in the process. She reached over and took the bag in the hand that didn't already have a suitcase.

"Come on, honey, the taxi is waiting. Don't drop Foots in the mud or we'll have to put him in the dryer again," she warned, her voice full of motherly love, if tired. Jason looked horrified and clung to the blue elephant.

"Foots said he didn't like the dryer. He gets motion sickness, like me. But he said it was okay because it was like flying, and he felt like Superman," Jason informed her, his face a picture of seriousness. Lois laughed dryly, tugging him along by his hand. They stepped out onto the sidewalk and into the musty cab.

"Mommy, I don't like the cab," whispered Jason, "I don't want to ride in it. It makes me feel bad." Lois looked at her son, concerned. Maybe he was frightened of staying at Clark's house, maybe it was too much change. She hugged him as the car started.

"Oh, sweetie, Clark's a nice guy, and I've been his friend for years. You met him several times! He loves kids, and he probably can't wait to see us!" she said, smiling. Jason looked faint.

"No, mommy, I like Mr. Clark. I'm not afraid," he murmured, squeezing Foots harder. Lois relaxed and sat back. Well, this might be easier than she thought. Jason was a tough boy…tougher than most people realized. She sighed while they cruised through the green light…but then something hit the car with the force of a truck going eighty miles and hour.

Well, that was what it was; an eighteen-wheeler going eighty miles an hour. Lois screamed as the cab flipped over and over through the air, clinging to her son and wishing that he would live to see tomorrow.

Five to ten seconds ago

Clark checked his appearance in the mirror one last time. He still felt uncomfortable, but it couldn't hurt. Casual was a good look for him. He stuck with colors in beige and white; plain, boring colors. His glasses were on place, somehow hiding how he really looked. His hair was rumpled and slightly messy, contrasting deeply to Superman's slicked-back look. He made sure not a single curl of his wavy hair hung in his face. Suddenly, though, he heard screaming and, cursing whoever was screaming with venomous frustration, ripped top clothes off, revealing the royal blue. He blasted away through an open window.

Still screaming, Lois could feel the car flipping over and over, upside down and sideways, and swore to never, ever go on a roller coaster if she lived through this. Abruptly, though, the flipping stopped, and she felt the car floating in midair, as if held up by strings. Instantly, though, she knew. Superman.

Her heart stumbled and her eyes squeezed shut. He was the last man she needed to see right now. One glance and she would fall head over heels for him. She didn't want that, not right after Richard died. It seemed so…so dirty and disrespectful! As the car landed, she could feel Jason bounce eagerly out of the car to be greeted by the deep, regal voice of Superman.

Lois remained in the car, her eyes still shut. Even without looking, she could tell by the sudden silencing of Jason that Superman was leaning over and looking in the taxi at her, most likely wondering what the hell she was doing. She felt a little bad for hurting him like this, but she couldn't even look at him; not yet.

"I'm sorry; I really am. But…I can't see you right now, please try to understand. It isn't you, it's Richard," she whispered, and she could barely hear herself. But she knew that Superman could hear her. She waited in tortured silence.

"I understand. I'll see you around, Lois," he murmured, casting an affectionate glance that she couldn't see. Looking up, he found another taxi that had been caught in the growing traffic jam around the accident. He lifted Lois gently, feeling her jump, and flew over to the taxi.

"Excuse me, but could you take this lady to wherever she was going? I can get you out of the traffic jam and along the road," he said to the stunned driver, who nodded enthusiastically. That was another plus to being Superman. People jumped to help him.

Looking around, he found Jason standing in a circle of reporters, all who were bombarding him with questions on what he knew about Superman. Clark smiled. Well, he was certainly showing signs of heading down his mother's path of publicity. He scooped up Jason and stuck him in the taxi, and then lifted the taxi and set it on a road in the right direction. He sighed to himself as he watched it drive off. Then something hit him like the force of the eighteen wheel truck that hit Lois. He had to clean this mess up, get back to his house, and put on a pair of clothes before Lois got there! And that left him with about ten minutes, judging from the distance from the accident to his house!

Moving at super-speed, Clark lifted the truck and flew as fast as possible without burning the truck to ashes. He dropped it off, terrified drunk driver and all, at the police station, leaving them to figure it out. Then, he zoomed back to the highway and set the cars back into order, finishing by zooming at top speed back to his house, flying through the upstairs window just as he saw Lois and Jason's cab pulling into the driveway. He practically flew around the room, pulling out clothes and yanking them on, making sure he rumpled his hair just right. Damn that stupid man who crashed into Lois right after he made sure he looked perfect! He heard the doorbell ring, and raced down the stairs, glancing into the mirror as he went.

Clark froze in his tracks. His glasses! He left them upstairs! Moving with the speed only capable of Superman, he managed to get up the stairs and down again in seconds. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

"Oh, Lois, you're early," he said casually, examining his fingernails. Cool, very cool. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the ripped-off clothes from earlier. He winced inwardly. Not cool. Lois, being an ace reporter with an eye for unusual scenes, noticed it at once. She pointed, a confused look crossing her face.

"Ah, that was my…dog. He's at the vet right now; I dropped him off a little while before you arrived. I must have left that out, he tore it up this morning," he said, barely hiding his shaking hand. Wow, that was a close call. But Lois seemed to buy his story. She nodded as she slowly walked in, examining the room.

"Cool, you have a dog? Can I see him once he gets back?" asked Jason. Clark groaned a little, but quietly. He was sharp, like his mother.

"Uh, sure, why not," muttered Clark unhappily. A dog required maintenance and time, neither of which he had. Maybe he could pick one up at the pound and let Jason take care of it. Hey, maybe if they left, he could let Jason keep it! That was a thought.

"Yeah, but be careful, it's just a puppy," he said, and Jason smiled politely, but Clark could see the thinly covered squeal of excitement. After his moment of trying to find out what to do with a dog, he remembered something.

"Oh, yeah, Jason, I got you something!" he said, trying to catch Jason's now wandering attention. Of course, it was immediately caught. Clark walked over to the table and picked up the package, and then knelt down to hand it to Jason, who enthusiastically ripped it open. Clark was rewarded with a grin and a big hug as Jason discovered the sketch pad and brand-new crayons in the box. Instead of the intense happiness and delight he had expected, Clark was filled with pain. He was unable to love Jason as a father, but maybe a caring uncle-type figure would do.

Jason ran off to play with his crayons, and feeling awkward and clumsy, Clark was left with a lovely and graceful Lois.

"That was nice. You didn't have to do that," she murmured. Clark shrugged, and lifted Lois's bag.

"I like him, and he deserves something for…for going through what he has. I know it must be painful. You can stay here for as long as you like," he said, hoping that he sounded comforting. Lois looked around again.

"Your house is lovely. Thank you for letting us stay here, Jason and I really appreciate it," she said, turning to face him. Clark was flooded with emotion as he looked into her eyes. Then, remembering that he and Superman happened to have the same eyes, he looked away quickly. She furrowed her brow.

"Huh…you have nice eyes. Have you ever considered getting contacts?" she asked, confused. Clark shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Ah, no, I have sensitive eyes, and contacts bother them. So, why don't I show you to your room, and we'll get you settled in," he said, walking towards the guest bedroom. She followed, still confused. Why did it seem like he was avoiding something?

* * *

Haha, I was thinking about the whole 'wiggle out of the pants' thing, and I have to admit, that would actually be pretty hot, but just because he's Superman.

Thanks for the answers for my unanswerable question, I also heard a few more questions from my reviewers, so check out the reviews and read them. But be gentle with your reviews, mean ones hurt. Or they make me mad.


	3. Xray vision

Alright, this chapter's kind of short, sorry, but I didn't feel like typing anymore. Oh yeah, thanks for catching my mistakes in chapter one, I didn't know it was Luthor, not Luther, sorry. Also, I'm surprised only one person caught that I put Richard as a lawyer in the first chapter, not a reporter. I just thought that he should have a really high-paying job, and a reporter somehow didn't strike me as a good job for Richard. And yes, I realize that I spelled chapter wrong in the heading thing.

* * *

Clark lay in his bed, wide awake. His alarm was going to sound in about ten minutes. He had never been so grateful that he didn't need sleep. All day he worked, and all night he fought crime. It was hard to find some time for himself these days. How did people manage to get themselves into such ridiculously terrible situations? How did people _live_ before he came to earth? They were so clumsy. He sat up, prepared to make an early breakfast for his guests.

* * *

Lois stretched and yawned when her alarm went off. She wore her favorite pair of soft blue pajamas with buttons down the front and long, slightly baggy pants. Scratching her tangled hair, she walked into the kitchen. And walked right back out, a little mortified. Since when did Clark know how to cook? She blushed a little. She couldn't walk into the kitchen looking like her hideous morning self! It was embarrassing. She leaned a little around the corner.

"Hey, Clark? Can I use your shower?" she called softly, not wanting to wake up Jason. Clark picked up the 'be quiet' cue.

"Sure, you can use the one in the hall or the one in my room," he said quietly. She nodded and walked off, not that he could see it.

Clark sighed to himself. She looked so cute in the morning! He knew, though, that she wouldn't be ready for another relationship for a long time. He, though, was ready to wait for her. He would wait forever.

Finishing up the cooking, he checked on Jason, who appeared to be asleep. His heart felt that little twinge of pain again. Oh, how he wanted to love that boy! It wasn't fair that he had to miss out on raising his son. Sighing, he walked over to the shower in the hall. Apparently, Lois didn't want Jason walking in on her in the shower, so she showered in her room. Clark wasn't worried. He locked the door. Jason had food and toys outside; he could wait.

* * *

Yawning, Jason sat up and stretched. He abandoned Foots on the bed and stumbled down the hall. Normally, he wouldn't get up this early, but the smell of eggs and bacon had tempted him out of his slumber. He walked tiredly into the kitchen. Noticing the food on the table and plates stacked nearby, he did what he usually did in the morning; grabbed a plate and started filling it. He noticed with some confusion, though, that there was nothing to drink set out for him. Being only six years old, he was used to his mother setting out milk or juice.

Jason's brow furrowed. This was confusing. He had never poured his own drink, but he _did_ watch his mother do it every Saturday morning. Hm, this was a tough one. If he poured his own drink, his mother would either be proud or angry. Well, it couldn't hurt, so he walked over to the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk.

Looking around, he noticed several high cabinets. That was usually where his mother kept the cups, so he decided to look in there. Now came the dilemma of how to get the cups. Putting the milk on the table, he grabbed a chair. He dragged it over to the countertop and pushed it into place.

* * *

Clark ran his fingers through his hair, rinsing out all traces of shampoo. He knew that life as he knew it would get more complicated. One problem was his glasses. He would need them on at all times, or at least nearby. Another problem was to never wear blue, because Lois might associate that with Superman and begin to remember who he was. His eyes snapped open when he heard a strange sound; kind of like a dragging sound. Using his X-ray vision, he started to look around…and closed his eyes almost instantly.

Lois…he had forgotten how absolutely beautiful and perfect she was. When he had been using his X-ray vision, he had accidentally seen Lois, also showering. Feeling guilty and dirty, though he knew it was an accident, he switched his vision elsewhere and kept searching. When he came to the problem, his heart almost stopped.

There was Jason, standing on the countertop and reaching for a glass cup on the highest shelf. Not only that, both Jason and the cup were wobbling dangerously. His son…his first and probably last son…was about to fall! He yanked open the shower curtain and started to rush out of the bathroom. Suddenly, he remembered that other people were in the house and pulled on a towel. The little delay cost him dearly. He heard a distinct crash in the kitchen.

* * *

Be nice in the reviews, I realize that I made some mistakes. I love when I get good reviews that tell me what you like, because then I know how to catch the audience's attention. Make nice reviews, but also tell me where I went wrong, After all, I'm only human. I make mistakes. 


	4. The Secret is Out

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Okay, answering Tairona's questions:

Alright, maybe he could have ran at top speed to catch Jason, but this is his only son, and I think that if your only son was teetering dangerously on a ledge when you weren't expecting it, you would be too shocked to move, too.

Also, I meant for him to be calling people clumsy in a term of affection. He still likes people, but come on; compared to Superman we're clumsy. Just wanted to clear up some questions, but thanks for asking them.

* * *

Clark raced into the kitchen at top speed and made a giant leap, just in time to catch Jason. Panting and lying on his stomach with his arms outstretched, holding Jason, he rolled over, pulling the boy onto his chest. A glass lay shattered where Jason was about to fall. Sighing with relief, Clark let his head drop to the kitchen floor. Lois slid into view from the hall. 

"Oh my God, what happened?" she exclaimed, seeing broken glass and Jason and Clark on the floor. Clark stared at her for a few seconds, filled with memories. Lois wore only a towel, also. He recovered quickly, though.

"Oh, um, Jason just fell, I guess. It's alright, I caught him in time, but I'm afraid I was too late for the cup," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. He was secretly terrified, though, and could hardly breathe. That boy was never getting out of his sight ever again! Clark stood and handed Jason to his mother.

"I'm so sorry, Clark, Jason shouldn't have been messing around in the kitchen, anyway," Lois said, feeling a little bad. She and Jason had only been here for a day and already something was broken! Clark smiled good-naturedly.

"No, it's okay, I'll clean it up, it's no trouble," he said, but then he noticed Lois staring at him with an odd expression on her face…his glasses! He left them in the bathroom!

Clark whipped around and ran a hand through his hair, making sure it was very, very messy and in his face. Lois walked over.

"Clark? You look so different without your glasses, I almost thought…" she said softly, touching his shoulder. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes.

"Ah, Lois, shouldn't you go and…finish your shower?" he tried. Maybe he could play it off like he was turning around because he was modest; not that he wasn't. Seeming to snap out of a trance, she nodded and picked up Jason to take him to his room. Clark let out a deep breath once he heard Jason's door shut. That was too close!

"Jason, honey, don't ever scare me like that again! You should know better than to climb on the countertops!" she scolded mildly, too relieved to be truly angry. At least Jason knew that he was wrong. Jason, though, looked like he was thinking seriously about something.

"Mommy, does Superman have a secret identity, like Batman?" he asked, and Lois looked at him confusedly.

"Why…why, of course not, dear," she said, "I think you've been watching too many cartoons."

"Did he tell you he didn't?" asked Jason persistently. Lois opened her mouth, and then closed it. Did he? Maybe he did. Jason yawned, ready to fall asleep.

"I think Mr. Clark looks like Superman," he said sleepily, his eyes closing and his speech slurring. Lois just watched as her son dozed off. She sat there for another moment, thinking.

* * *

"Huh…Metropolis…it's not as big as New York City…but I think it's a little more interesting," said ace reporter Rachel Jennings. She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and looked around. Her assistant, Kenny Peterson, laughed and pulled out a notepad. 

"Of course it's more interesting, these are prime hero-spotting grounds," he said, checking the address of the Daily Planet.

"Okay, we go down this street and turn left, and we'll be right at the front doors," he said, and Rachel growled at him.

"God, Kenny, don't talk to me like I'm stupid. You can see the big rotating globe from anywhere in the city!" she snapped, heading down the street. Kenny hurried behind her.

"There's a story here; I can feel it! What I don't understand was why Harrison transferred me here anyway. I'm the best reported he's ever going to get!" she muttered, not checking to look before she crossed the street. She heard a yell and looked back to see Kenny pointing down the road…to an eighteen-wheeler truck heading straight for her.

It was practically in slow motion…she could see her life flash before her eyes, her years of scrambling to the top and her years of success. It was all to be lost- to a massive truck that, with one strike, would end it all forever. It rushed back into fast-forward as she opened her mouth and screamed, closing her eyes.

The pain never came. It actually felt as if…as if she was floating! Cautiously, as though if she did it too quickly it would end, she opened her eyes. She looked up and saw dark hair and stunningly blue eyes, complete with a royal blue outfit and a large red S emblem. She couldn't even say anything; just stare.

"Miss, you really need to be careful when you cross the street; you were about to get squished," said the majestic figure. It took a second for Rachel to realize that she was flying…actually flying! Like an idiot, she couldn't say a word.

He was nothing like what she saw on TV. Superman had always hit her as someone unreal; someone she couldn't believe existed with these powers no matter how many times she had seen him on television or in the papers. All she could do was stare.

She realized that he was gently setting her on her feet, and she clutched his arm, not sure if she could stand. He let out a deep chuckle, as if he was used to inspiring such awe, and patted her hand.

"You're going to be fine, just be more careful from now on. Now, if you would kindly let go, I really need to get out of here, we're standing in front of a building full of reporters," he said mildly, and she quickly let go. He gave her a confident, dazzling smile and flew away, leaving her standing there, staring up in wonder.

"Rachel! Rachel, are you okay? That was amazing! I mean, that was absolutely stunning! We actually saw Superman in person!"

Rachel snapped out of her daze and looked over at Kenny, who was taking pictures as fast as possible as reporters crowded out of the building.

"Let's go, Kenny," she said, turning and entering the building with him at her heels. She needed to know more about this 'hero.'

"I'm sorry Miss Jennings, but I can't help you there. We've covered enough interviews already, it's not a big deal if you can catch a talk with him," said Perry White, the boss around the Daily Planet.

"If you want to know more about him, you'll have to find Lois Lane. She knows everything there is about Superman," he said, pointing down the hall of cubicles, "She's the one with the kid."

Rachel Jennings was quickly becoming obsessed with Superman after her incident with the truck. On the way over to meet Lois Lane, she bumped into a very tall man.

"Sorry," she said, not really paying attention to him. Then she stopped and did a double take. Was it just her, or did that man look a little like…

"Hi. Who are you?" asked a little voice. Rachel looked down and saw a tiny boy with a mop of brown hair staring up at her. She sneered at him.

"None of your business, kid. Hey, what are you doing in here, anyway? This isn't a day care," she snapped, looking around. Suddenly, though, she remembered what Perry said…something about Lois being the one with the kid! Rachel grimaced and squatted down to eye level with the boy; God, she hated kids.

"Little boy, can you tell me where your mommy is?" she asked as politely as possible. He frowned.

"Why?" he asked. Rachel gritted her teeth.

"Because we need to have a little grownup talk," she said.

"Why?"

"Because I need to ask her something."

"About what?"

"About Superman, okay kid?" she had lost her nice voice and was about ready to strangle the kid.

"Hey, I've met him before!" he chirped happily. Rachel stared at him. Well, he was Lois Lane's kid. It was possible.

"Can you tell me where your mommy is?" she asked again. This was going to kill her. Here was one of the reasons she didn't have kids.

"No," he said, taking a breath with his inhaler.

"Why not," she growled.

"Because I don't know where she is," said the kid. Rachel dropped her head in her hands and let out a muffled scream, standing up. Suddenly, though, that tall, tall man that reminded her of someone in blue came over and picked the kid up.

"Jason, Lois is looking all over for you, what are you doing over here?" he asked. Then, he noticed Rachel.

"Hi, you must be Rachel Jennings, the new reporter. I'm Clark Kent," he said, holding out his hand. She shook it, still a little frustrated.

"Can you tell me where to find Lois Lane?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Follow me, I have to drop Jason off anyway," he said, heading off in some random direction. She followed. He couldn't possibly be Superman. He was tall and awkward-looking, kind of like a puppy with oversized paws. He had a goofy smile and wore thick glasses; how could he be her hero? She didn't think it was possible; and yet, the resemblance was uncanny.

"Lois? There's a woman here to wants to talk to you," said Clark. Lois turned around and smiled; she was a pretty woman, with wavy brown hair and a beautiful smile. Rachel felt that something was up here, and she was going to find out. She wasn't called an ace reporter for nothing.

* * *

Clark was in his car, driving down to Jason's elementary school. Perry had given him the rest of the day off due to his amazing report on the downtown robbery that Superman had thwarted, and he even described the intricate plan that they had used. Lois asked him if he could pick up Jason, since they still hadn't figured out a carpool to get him. Richard always used to pick him up. 

On the way, though, he heard a distinct cry for help and pulled the car over. Tearing off his clothes to reveal his super-suit, he flew quickly to the danger.

"It's true! I did meet Superman!" yelled Jason to the school bullies, Bobby and John, who just laughed scathingly.

"What hero in his right mind would ever want to talk to a loser like you?" asked Bobby mockingly. His fist flew and he punched Jason in the stomach. Jason fell onto his back and cried out with his eyes shut.

"Superman!"

Bobby just laughed and leapt to pounce on Jason, but he never landed. To his shock and surprise, he was floating about three feet about a cringing Jason. He was tossed rather roughly to the side. When he looked up he saw Superman helping Jason to his feet.

"Hey, Jason, Lois asked me to pick you up today," said the hero in blue, brushing the dust off of his son. Jason wiped away a few tears with the back of his hand as Superman picked him up, careful not to do it baby-style. He didn't want to embarrass him. He just grabbed him under the arm and lifted, kind of like picking up a puppy. He flew up, shooting a warning glance at the two bullies who were staring, amazed, as Jason turned back and stuck his tongue out at them.

Clark was furious. Nobody, _nobody_ bullied his son! If that boy was a little older, he'd give him a piece of his mind! Well, no he wouldn't, but it couldn't hurt to let Jason bask in a little glory. That was part of the fun.

"Mr. Clark, can we go faster?" asked a tiny voice timidly. Jason was looking up at him, and he nodded.

"Well, sure, but…hey…wait…what?" he stuttered. Did Jason catch on? It stunned him. If it was any other person like Lois, he would've asked who Clark was, but he was caught off guard by a six-year-old child!

"I said Mr. Clark can we go faster," repeated Jason, smiling. Clark was stunned for a second.

"I'm-I'm not Clark, I'm Superman," he said, trying to recover. Jason sighed and rolled his eyes in the cutest way possible.

"Suuure, you aren't. Mr. Kent," he muttered quietly, and Clark shot him as stern a look as was possible while trying not to smile.

"Well, I'm not. And what gave you that idea?" he asked, frustrated. Jason was quick! He was a lot like his mother…even though she hadn't caught on.

"Well, you look exactly like him, and I saw you without your glasses when I dropped the cup, and I knew," he said, "But don't worry, I won't tell mommy."

Clark couldn't help but grin. Having a little secret to share might bring them closer, and that was all he wanted with his son.

"Alright, you caught me," he said in his best guilty voice. Jason giggled and kicked his feet at the quiet city under them.

"So can you pick me up from school everyday?"

* * *

Okay, it isn't the greatest chapter, but I can't rush the plot. I just needed to introduce a new character, Rachel Jennings. The next chapter will be better, please be nice in your reviews, but tell me what I do wrong. 


	5. Richard and the Threat Letter

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

This one's gonna knock you back off your feet; get ready for some surprises.

* * *

Richard moaned, his eyelids fluttering open. 'Where am I?' he thought, looking around. It seemed like he was in some type of basement, dark and foreboding. He would have yelled had it not been for the cloth gag. He wriggled a little, finding that he was tied hand and foot to a chair. Foot…Foots…Lois and Jason!

The last thing he remembered was yelling at Lois about Jason, and storming off to go to the doctor. In the car, there was a flash of light and pain, and then it was over. He heard a door open and whipped around to see a beautiful blonde woman holding a gun.

"Don't get up," she scoffed mockingly. Richard let out a muffled yell. Where was Superman when he needed him? Abruptly, the thought was thrust from his mind. He didn't need Superman to save him like he was a cat stuck in a tree! He was Richard White, and he could get out of anything!

"I'll bet you're wondering why you're here. Well, I can't tell you, or I'll have to kill you. I can't even tell you my name. All I can really say is I'm the boss around here, and you're the bait," she said slyly, smiling at him, "And you're not supposed to be awake yet."

Something hard and metal, a bat by the feel of it, struck him in the back of the head and he passed out instantly, Lois' face filling his thoughts as everything went dark.

* * *

Clark lay staring at the ceiling. It was relatively quiet tonight, save a minor robbery or two. Sometimes he could just leave it to the cops; after all, he didn't want to put them out of work. His mind was too busy for him to pay any real attention to what he was doing, anyway.

Should he tell Lois? Maybe it would bring them together, and he could live a happily-ever-after kind of life. But that would just confirm his fears that she only liked him for the powerful, superhuman figure of Superman instead of his personality. If she wanted Superman, she needed to want the whole deal, not just the majestic fantasy that made up her dreams.

Also, there was a constant threat to her life. If anybody found out that she was married to Superman, it would spread like a wildfire. It was already too dangerous for her now, being Lois Lane, Superman's press agent. Jason, though, could handle himself after a while. He wasn't worried about Jason. In fact, his heart filled with pride whenever he looked at his seemingly-frail son.

Also, there was the question of whether Lois was ready for another relationship, but that answer was easy; hell no. He could still hear her crying at night, and it broke his heart a thousand times over, but there was nothing he could do. Only time could heal a wound like that.

Clark heard a tiny noise outside his door and sat up. He saw tousled brown hair and sleepy blue eyes watching him from the doorway. He smiled, and Jason walked in, hopping straight onto the bed next to Clark and sitting.

"I can't sleep," he said simply, looking up at him with those deep blue eyes. Clark found himself grinning. He knew exactly who those eyes came from.

"Me neither. Do you want something to drink? Or maybe some cookies and milk?" asked Clark, affectionately straightening Jason's hair. Jason nodded.

They snuck into the kitchen and Jason sat at the table while Clark pulled out a jug of milk and warmed it with his heat vision. Nothing put kids to sleep like warm milk and cookies.

Next he opened a package that he picked up from Smallville. It was filled to bursting with deliciously warm cookies that his mother baked. She had told him specifically to 'share it with my grandson.'

Spilling some cookies onto a plate and setting the warm milk out for Jason, he sat and watched his son eat.

"So why can't you sleep?" asked Clark mildly, nibbling a fat chocolate chip cookie. Jason shrugged a little.

"I think about things. I miss my daddy," he said, taking a bite of cookie. Clark sighed; he had hoped that he wouldn't have to talk about this with Jason, but it was inevitable.

"Jason, Richard is in a better place now, and I'm sure he wants you to be happy," he said comfortingly. He still wasn't the greatest at this dad stuff, especially when your own child doesn't know that you're his real father.

Jason nodded, his mouth full of cookie, and yawned. A few crumbs dropped from his mouth, which Clark wiped with instinctive father reflexes. Then, scooping a very tired little boy up, he went back to Jason's room and tucked him into bed. Jason fell asleep in no time. Clark smiled. Martha's cookies never failed.

* * *

The next morning, Lois got up early to get the mail. Most of them were for Clark, but one was for Lois Lane. She started to open it curiously, but she heard Clark walk in and decided it could wait.

"Hey, Jason wants to go to the zoo today, since its Saturday," she said cheerfully, strolling over to Clark and handing him a cup of coffee. He took a sip and choked a little.

"Jesus, Lois, is this coffee was any stronger it could kill Superman," he said bitterly, taking another sip and wincing. Lois laughed dryly.

"Well, as fearless reporter Lois Lane, I think I have a reputation to keep up, and falling asleep during a major story might have a negative effect on my career," she said, giving Clark a light punch on the shoulder. She was a little shocked when his arm didn't even move; it felt like it was carved out of rock! Why was Clark a reporter? He felt like a champion weightlifter!

"Silly me, thinking being _dead_ could _possibly_ have a worse effect on your career than falling asleep," he joked, giving her his lightest punch possible. Lois grinned. Clark was always the same goofy, likeable Clark. She wasn't sure why she was feeling particularly attracted to him at the moment, though. She _did_ feel guilty, though. Richard, Superman, _and_ Clark Kent? 'What a whore,' she thought to herself.

"Well the zoo sounds fun," said Clark, pulling out a bowl and cracking eggs into it. He started mixing when Lois laid a hand on his shoulder. It was his first affectionate contact with Lois since she entered the house, and she could feel him tense under her hand. God, he was like a solid mass or muscle!

"Here; I'll cook breakfast today," she said, slipping the eggbeater out of his hand. He _was_ an amazing cook, though, she had to admit. Maybe being raised on a farm had its advantages; or at least, _living_ with a guy raised on a farm did. He could whip up a damn fine pancake!

Clark left the kitchen and entered Jason's room. Jason was snoozing rather quietly on the single bed, sprawled out to unbelievably lengths. Clark was glad Jason didn't snore; he was rather proud to admit that he didn't, either. Whether Lois snored or not was yet to be seen.

"Wake up, buddy," whispered Clark, nudging Jason a little. Nothing happened. Clark pushed him a little harder, but with no avail. Jason slept on. Apparently he got Lois' sleeping habits, since Clark woke up at every creak of the house. Suddenly, Clark had an idea. If Jason had indeed begun to develop his powers, then this should wake him up.

Clark whistled, a shrill, high-pitched whistle that immediately set off the neighbors' dogs into fits of frenzies. Jason, evidently, hadn't fully developed the sensitive hearing, but he still had sharp ears. Yawning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Time to get up, we're going to the zoo today," said Clark, placing his hand on Jason's back. It was easy to display affection on Jason, which was readily returned. Jason nodded sleepily and held up his arms.

"I think you're getting too big to be carried," said Clark cheerfully, lifting Jason into his arms and setting him on his shoulders. Jason laughed a little.

"So are you saying Superman is getting tired in his old age?" asked Jason, resting his cheek on the top of Clark's head. Clark smiled and started walking out of the room with his tiny child-hat.

"Well, are you ready to go, Jason?" asked Lois as Clark and Jason entered the kitchen. She looked over.

"Oh, no, you're not even dressed! Come here, let's go get your clothes on," she said, taking Jason from Clark. Clark sat at the kitchen table to wait. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a letter for Lois. It wouldn't have worried him, except he noticed that there was no return address; someone didn't want to be found.

Checking to make sure Lois was busy, he picked up the letter and scanned it with his X-ray vision. He hated scanning letters; he had to keep turning it over because it was usually folded up. He did manage to make out the writing, though, and was so stunned that he dropped the letter.

_Lois Lane,_

_We have your husband; come to the abandoned shipyard at midnight tomorrow night, and bring $10,000. If you aren't there by 12:10, you'll never see Richard White again; it's easy to switch bodies in a car explosion. Fire makes the victims undistinguishable. Do not bring anyone with you. I repeat, DO NOT ALERT THE POLICE. If we see more than one person coming, we will shoot.

* * *

_

Okay...I know I'm going kind of slow still, but don't worry...once the plot is revealed, it will get a lot more actiony...if that's a word. Once again, please be gentle with your reviews, but tell me where I go wrong. Nicely. 


	6. Kryptonite Walls

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Okay, this might not be my greatest chapter, but then again it might. It's frustratingly teasing, and don't be mad at me, you know you love it. It's a little sappy, but I like it. If you look into the situations, you would be doing the same thing.

* * *

Superman flew silently and made sure to stay in the shadows. It would've been smarter to have worn black, but seeing Superman in black outside the dock would make a front page story, and attention was the last thing he wanted. He circled the dock a few times, scanning ships and boxes with his X-ray vision.

Tomorrow night was when Lois was supposed to come, had she opened the letter. He couldn't let that happen; Lois meant the world to him, and he wouldn't risk her life. The entire time at the zoo, he had been thinking hard about what the villain could possibly want. They hadn't mentioned him…so that meant that they may be just after Lois. But what could Lois possibly do that offended anyone? Did they hold a grudge against Richard?

The only reason that kept him from thinking that they were after Lois was the fact that Lois and Superman happened to be the 'hit couple of the universe.' Poor Richard; marrying a woman who was pushed to be with someone else. I mean, who could ignore the crazed fan sites that stuck him and Lois together constantly, getting rid of Richard in any way possible?

It didn't seem to make any sense. He couldn't even enjoy a day at the zoo with his beloved family, so worried was he that they were in danger. The only way he made it through the day without smashing something to smithereens was by reassuring himself that he would check the shipyard for anything suspicious.

There was nothing here. He furrowed his brow and tried examining the area more closely. Nothing, not even a person popped out. Suddenly, though, he noticed something; there was one single ship he just couldn't see through. Frowning, he tried again, with no results. It must be lined with lead! It would have to be a very thin layer, though, if the boat were to be able to float.

He floated cautiously towards the dock, wary of an ambush; but what could they do? Shoot him? He flew faster. And faster. And faster.

Clark sped at an amazing speed towards the dock, pressed by urgency and worry. Abruptly, something hit him; he wasn't doing this. This wasn't flying! This was falling!

Yelping, he shielded his face with his arms, bracing for impact. But getting punched by Luthor on the island of Kryptonite was nothing compared to this; he struck the dock at an astounding speed, smashing it to bits and ending up underwater. Unconscious for a few moments, he floated there. Then, his eyelids flickered open, and he groaned, issuing a series of bubbles.

Something was jabbing him in the back painfully. He slowly slid a hand beneath him; and felt the jagged sharpness of a familiar stone that he would recognize anywhere.

Unconscious grappled with will, and he struggled to stay awake. Lois and Jason were in danger, as well as Richard. He had to live…for his family.

He felt a sudden jerk on his cape, and dreamed that it was Lois pulling him to safety again. When the first burst of air entered his lungs, he knew he would live, and promptly passed out.

It seemed to be hours until he finally woke up. Clark looked around; it was dank and dark, and he felt metal under him. By the steady rocking, he concluded that he was in a boat. Wearily, he squinted and tried his X-ray vision, and sighed. Of _course_ he was in the lead-lined boat. But there was something else here, too; something well-known and unwanted; something his body squirmed to be away from involuntarily…kryptonite. He growled. What the hell else was packed into the walls of this boat?

He froze when he heard something else move in the room. Sitting up a little and looking around, he saw someone that made his jaw drop. There sat Richard, trying to wedge his arms out of the ropes that tied him to a wooden chair.

Clark ran over and pulled the duct tape off of Richard's mouth. Richard opened his mouth and clenched his teeth for a minute, wincing. Clark shrugged.

"Don't…Superman…it's a trap!" he managed to say once he recovered a little. Clark sighed.

"Well, duh, I figured that out now," he said unhappily. He and Richard turned when they heard a door open. A blonde woman stepped down from the stairs. Clark lunged forward to rip her to shreds when she pulled out a knife and struck him in the arm, reaching out with the other hand to push him back like a child.

"Now, why do you seem so urgent to go, Superman? Or should I say, Clark Kent?" she murmured, and Richard turned to stare at Clark, whose noble face didn't even twitch. Damn, did _everybody_ know? How did Lois still not know?

"What do you want with me?" he demanded, then stopped and fell silent. Usually, when villains kidnapped him or held him captive, he recognized them from something criminal they did, or knew that they were trying to take revenge on him. Lex Luthor was a familiar face by now, but he only remembered this woman from…

"Rachel? Rachel Jennings?" he asked confusedly. He stared at her, trying to place what looked so familiar about her. She laughed, and took a step forward.

"Actually, if my father had married my mother, my name would be Rachel Luthor," she said, giggling a little. Clark mentally rolled his eyes. How did it seem that everybody was out to get him? And, more importantly, how many other relatives did Luthor have?

"Okay, fine, Rachel Luthor slash Jennings, _what do you want with me_?" he hissed a second time, and she smiled sweetly.

"Only what my father wanted; revenge. You stuck dear old daddy in jail, when I could have inherited his empire! You foiled his plots again and again, and you just expect me to sit back and watch? Well, now who's holding the cards?" she asked, walking forward and slapping Clark. He fell back, weakened by every passing moment in the horrible ship.

"And guess what the best part is? I get to be the criminal that kills the famous team, Lois and Superman!" she squealed, clapping her hands together in mock glee. Clark laughed bitterly.

"So where's Lois?" he said confidentially. Rachel only smirked, and his heart sank. How long had he been out?

"Actually, she'll be arriving tonight. _Someone_ didn't throw away the letter, did he? Only twelve hours until every one of you is dead. Even your little boy," she added, nodding at Richard, who seemed speechless. Rachel seemed to bask in the pain and horror that emitted from him. Clark didn't even move, though inside he was screaming. Why didn't he shred that letter? He had just left it there, unopened, on the floor as Lois ushered him and Jason out.

She smirked and tossed Clark the knife, who stared at it suspiciously, ready for another trap.

"Maybe if you do my job for me and kill off Mr. White here, just _maybe_ I'll let the little boy live,"

With that, she turned and shut the door, leaving the two men alone in the light of a tiny window. With the enemy gone, Clark slumped against the wall and slid down, resting on the floor with his head against the wall. Richard's voice carried faintly from behind him.

"You're…you're Superman…isn't there anything you can do?"

Clark slowly dragged himself to his feet, turning to face Richard with a mixed expression of defeat and desperation. He raised the knife.

"Yes…there is."

"Clark's been missing all night and all morning…where could he be?" asked an anxious Lois. Just when life seemed to be heading back towards normal, something happened. All the men in her life seemed to be disappearing. She sat down at her desk and laid her head in her folded arms.

"It's alright, Miss Lane, I'm sure the police will find him," crooned a comforting Rachel Jennings, patting Lois on the shoulder. Lois raised her head wearily and shot a grateful smile at Rachel.

"Thank you, I don't know what I'd do without a friend like you," said Lois. Rachel smiled.

"Well, it's the least I can do after we spent so much time together," she said. 'Talking about Superman,' she added in her head. Where else would she find out that his weakness was kryptonite, or that he couldn't see through lead? The bay had been the perfect place to spawn her evil plan, being filled with chunks of kryptonite since her father's island was carried off. Everything was going perfectly.

Clark stood by Richard's chair, stumbling in his attempt to stand. He hated himself for this, hated the very idea of this, but he loved Jason over his own life, and would do anything for him. With a shaking hand, he placed the knife over Richard's throat, swallowing and breathing deep to stay conscious. This was his only chance to save Jason, but it would make him a killer. Would Lois hate him after the misery of finding her beloved fiancé dead?

He looked up into Richard's clear eyes, filled with tears like his own. He didn't resist when Richard slipped out the hand that he had worked free and gently pried the knife out of his hands. Then, he raised it to his own throat.

"Before I die, I need to tell you something. If I could choose one person on this planet to watch over the love of my life and my son, I would choose no one less than Superman," he said meaningfully, and Clark blinked back the tears that blinded him.

Richard took a deep breath and pulled the knife back to stab it into his heart, but this time Clark stopped him. A terrible realization had struck him.

"It isn't worth anything, anyway. If you die, Jason dies. If you don't die, Jason still dies. Why would she leave him alone when there's nothing to stop her from erasing everything we care about?" he asked dully. Richard nodded, but didn't seem any more relieved. He looked like he would rather have died than hear this, but he knew it was true. Clark miserably cut the rest of Richard's ropes. What were they going to do?

* * *

Neh, it's an okay chapter, but I'm not sure what you guys like. Maybe you'll love this chapter. Okay, let's see a show of hands who hates Rachel, please. Leave nice reviews, they inspire me! But mean reviews make me want to die. Or kill. Your pick. Either way, gentle reviews, please!


	7. Jason

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

I know, I know, it seems a little odd for Superman to even _consider_ killing Richard, but what matters is that he couldn't and doesn't. He was just desperate and hopeless, like everyone else. But it was quite noble of Richard to try to kill himself for his 'son,' no? This is another alright chapter, I'm feeling a little un-inspired these days. Well, I hope you like it.

* * *

Lois read the letter again as she stood by the entrance of the shipyard, holding a suitcase full of bills. It hadn't been easy finding ten thousand dollars, but she had scraped it up. After serious consideration, she had taken seven thousand dollars out of Jason's college funds, and had pulled out one thousand dollars from her bank account. She asked to have a few future paychecks ahead of time from Perry, and had gotten another thousand. Finally, she had another thousand from her cousin Yolanda, after promising to pay her back. 

This might have been a hoax, but she was prepared. She had the police in on the situation, and they hid outside the shipyard. When she had first read that letter, hope had seared through her veins like nothing ever had before. After that, the doubts arrived. What if it really _was_ a cruel ruse scam? What if Richard really _was_ dead? Well, it couldn't hurt to see, so she took a deep breath and entered the shipyard, reassured by the several armed men hidden behind her.

Lois didn't like the icy feel of the bay. Something was haunting about these waters, something wasn't right. She felt like she shouldn't be here, like something was wrong with this scene, though she couldn't place it. The calm, silent waters had an eerie green glow.

She walked along the dock, looking for signs of people. She didn't see anything until she reached the last ship, a proud cruise boat. Something was suspicious here, though. The entire dock leading up to it was crushed, absolutely obliterated. Shards of wood littered the ground, and something poked up from the water; something dark green and familiar…

She edged closer and examined it. Among the sharp-edged rocks, there was a shred of…blue cloth?

Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind, with not even a scream to set off the police. A piece of cloth gagged her, and ropes spun around her, tying her tight. Something heavy struck her head, and she fainted, with one last thought in her mind; _Jason.

* * *

_

Jason sat in the living room, eating the cheese and crackers that had been set out for him by his babysitter, Jenna, who was currently on the phone chatting with her boyfriend, Eric. Jason watched the television aptly, his eyes fixed on the little mouse that Tom could never catch. _'Run, little mouse, run,'_ he egged the mouse on in his head, smiling as the cat got hit with a frying pan. Clark's puppy, a little German shepherd named Muffy ran in and pounced on Jason, ready to play.

Jason readily agreed, rolling on the floor with the puppy. He was glad it was a dog and not a cat; he used to have a kitten named Scoots, but ended up allergic to him, and tearfully returned him to the pound. Suddenly, Muffy stopped rolling and sat straight up, her ears alert and a growl rumbling deep in her throat. Jason sat up, too, and looked curiously at the dog, who ran to the door and started barking wildly.

Jenna stomped in, her cell phone pressed against her shoulder as she glared at the frantically barking puppy.

"Muffy, be quiet, you'll wake up the entire city/" scolded Jenna, picking up Jason's cheese and crackers and wiping his face with a wet napkin. Muffy lowered her bark to a low snarl, and Jenna swatted her muzzle.

"Muffy, go to sleep," she ordered, pointing to the little doggy bed where Muffy slept. Still growling, Muffy crept to her pillow and flopped down, her ears still pointed to the door.

"I think something's wrong," said Jason timidly. He had never seen Muffy act that way before, but he didn't like it. It was kind of like when his neighbor's dog, Rufus, had attacked the man who was trying to steal Mr. Harrison's money. Muffy went all barky and snarly, just like Rufus.

"Jason, I think you've watched enough cartoons. Go upstairs and brush your teeth, I'll come up in a few minutes to check up on you. And don't forget to use toothpaste," she added as Jason scampered up the stairs. Sighing, Jenna sat back onto the soft leather couch, rubbing her eyes. Out of all the annoying brats she babysat, Jason was the easiest. He was quiet and obedient and listened to everything she said.

Something was making a funny noise right outside the door, though. It kind of sounded like a key trying to unlock it, but different.

"Hello?" she called tentatively, "Mr. Clark? Mrs. Lane?"

The funny noise didn't stop, and Jenna felt something drop in her stomach. She had watched too many break-in movies to not be able to recognize that noise; someone was picking the lock!

As fast as she could, Jenna turned the emergency lock on, which didn't have a keyhole from the outside. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths; panicking under this situation would be terrible. After a few moments, she sprinted to the phone and picked it up to dial 911. As she punched in the nine, something behind her exploded, and she screamed, ducking for cover.

Jason came running down the stairs towards Jenna, who was recovering from the shock. Someone had blown the door open!

"Go upstairs and hide, Jason," she commanded, fear in every word. Shaking, Jason ran part of the way upstairs.

"But what about you?" he called fearfully. She picked up the phone again; those were definitely footsteps coming towards her.

"I'll be fine; just go!" she screamed as she tried to calm her nerves so her fingers would stop shaking enough for her to re-dial 911. _'I better get a raise for this,'_ she thought, trying to dial. She froze when she heard the distinct click of a gun.

"Stop right there, girly," said the man as a voice came over the phone.

"You have reached the police department, can we help you?"

The man with the gun gestured to the phone, his gestures obvious. Jenna put the phone to her ear and tried to calm her voice.

"I'm sorry, my…my nephew was playing with the phone and must have dialed 911, sorry to disturb you," she said quietly, astounding herself with her composed tone. She hung up the phone and turned to face the man, slowly raising her hands above her head.

"Please don't shoot," she whimpered, "I'm only sixteen."

The man sneered and she closed her eyes, knowing that it was useless. Here she was, going to die a virgin. God, what a horrible way to go down! At least she could have alerted the police and saved Jason! _'See you in heaven, Jason,'_ she added in her head. She kept her eyes shut, waiting for the pull of the trigger and the fatal shoot. Sweat poured from her temple, and tears dripped down her face.

BANG!

She heard the shot, but didn't feel it. Opening her eyes gradually, hoping that he had been bluffing, she screamed. There, standing in front of her, stood Jason.

"Jason, oh, Jason, you were so young," she cried dramatically. If she was crying before, she was _really_ crying now! She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, sobbing hysterically. To her utter and complete surprise, Jason turned around and patted her shoulder in the quiet and curious way he did everything.

"Jenna? Why are you crying?"

Jenna and the assassin stared at Jason. Looking down, both of them noticed a crumpled bullet. The man in black picked up a walkie-talkie.

"Uuhh…Miss Jennings? Are you sure Richard's son lives here?"

Jason walked over to the man and promptly lifted him up and threw him out the window. Jenna, still kneeling on the floor, stared open-mouthedly. What he did next had her smiling, despite her confusion and astonishment. He leaned out the window to make sure the man was okay. Since it was only on the first floor, he was alright, just terrified out of his mind and a little scratched.

"Sorry, mister," he called to the man who was currently sprinting away. Jason walked back to Jenna and took a breath with his inhaler. Jenna fainted.

* * *

Lois woke up, confused and aching. When her vision cleared, it was as if she hadn't woken up at all! Everything was black! It was like being insane…or blind! Was she blind? Lois started screaming uncontrollably. 

"Let me out! Let me out! I'm going insane, it's so dark, let me out!" she shrieked, banging her fists on the floor and blinking to see through the darkness. A man cleared his throat.

"Um, Lois? You're facing a wall."

Lois didn't even turn around. That voice…but…but he was dead! Could it possibly be…?

"Richard!" cried Lois in a frenzy of emotion. She flung herself onto Richard, her arms wrapped around his neck as she sobbed onto his shoulder.

"Lois…Lois…calm down, I'm okay! Well, except for this enormous bruise on the side of my head that you are currently pushing!" he yelped, clinging to Lois all the same. She pulled back and wiped the blood and sweat from his face. Looking around, she saw someone else in the room.

"S-superman?" she whispered, reaching out to rest her hands on his broad chest. He placed his hands over hers, holding back. Maybe she wasn't ready.

Apparently she was. She flung herself around his neck, just like with Richard, only with one difference; Clark stumbled back.

Confused, Lois lifted her head and stared at him. Superman never stumbled! Unless…

"Kryptonite," he whispered. She winced. Of course! The bay was absolutely _filled_ with kryptonite! If anyone was trying to kill Superman, this would be the ideal place! She looked at the men again. Richard and Superman, two of the most important men in her life, getting along perfectly fine in this horrible confinement. It was baffling. Superman seemed to read her mind.

"Yeah, well, we both agreed that we have the same goals; keep you and Jason safe," he said, but then a terrible expression overcame his handsome features. Turning around, Lois noticed the same expression on Richard. Dread rested in the pit of her stomach as the same subject popped into her mind; the third of her most important men.

"Jason."

* * *

Yeah, I guess I had some confusion with the whole 'switched bodies' thing with Richard, but I heard this crazy story somewhere that a completely burned body can't be identified even by the DNA, but I'm not sure if that's true. 

Oh yeah, I'll answer some questions.

malfoysvixen- Yeah, I have a thing with eighteen-wheelers, they just seem like one of the most impressive cars to get hit by, right? Also, Jason went back to sleep after the kitchen scene because it was the middle of the night, sorry if I didn't clear that up. But he said that he couldn't sleep, like Clark.

Angel452and Phoenix Skyborne- I know $10,000 is a little low, but Rachel wasn't after the money. She was sfter revenge, like a surprising amount of fictional criminals. The money was to make it seem like she wasn't after revenge. Honestly, who would come to a threat letter that said,

"Come to the dock at midnight, or I'll kill your fiance. Of course, once you get here, I'll kill you _and_ your fiance, but please come anyway."  
?

Please leave nice reviews, I like them a lot.


	8. Sinking Ship

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Okay, this chapter is a little longer than the others...by about two-thousand words...and I hope you like it. I rather like this chapter. There isn't much Lois/Clark in it, but don't worry, it's coming up. I'll try to answer question as best as I can...but enjoy, and please review.

* * *

Lois woke up, startled. She had no idea that she had fallen asleep. Shifting a little, she soon found that movement was impossible. Wriggling, confused, she looked around and stifled a laugh.

She was sandwiched in between both men, all three of them leaning against the wall. Superman had his arm draped around her waist, and Richard had his head leaning on top of hers. Obviously they hadn't fallen asleep like that, since Lois doubted that either would agree to huddle up to her like that with the other man in the room.

In her moment of comfort, Lois had nearly forgotten about their tricky predicament. Once she realized where she was, though, the misery settled in again, and she wished she hadn't woken up.

Wiggling a little, she struggled to escape the captive grip of Superman and the heavy weight of Richard combined. Even in his weakened state, Superman sure wasn't easy to lift off. Richard was even harder. Finally breaking free, she walked around the damp room, looking for a way out. Her search yielding nothing, she squatted down and put her head in her hands. Shaking and whimpering, mighty Lois Lane started to cry.

* * *

Jason knew that he shouldn't leave the house, but something felt right about where he was going. Straining his eyes, he struggled to see where his mother was. After blurring and shooting pain through his head, his vision zoomed in to the man that he had thrown out his window previously that night. He was…at the shipyard!

* * *

"Well, everything's working out perfectly, daddy dearest," crooned Rachel, filing her nails while talking to Lex over the phone. She smiled and showed her beautifully manicured hands to the bald man on the other side of the glass.

"That's good, very good, dear," said Luthor, "but it's time for the second part of the plan. You will go into space with the billions I left you in your inheritance. Once on board, you will use your men to take over the spacecraft. I have several men working at NASA who'd be more than happy to help. The kryptonite planet should be completing its revolution around the sun, and you should end up right next to it. Once there, find the crystals that Kitty foolishly dropped and bring them back. Using the kryptonite from the bay, we should be able to re-create my genius plan and keep all Kryptonians off of Earth forever! Once Superman is dead, my rein shall begin!"

"Huh…I dunno…I think he's kind of cute. He'd be no trouble at all as long as he's confined in his little kryptonite cage; can I keep him?" chirped Rachel, fluttering her eyelashes at her father, who sputtered with rage.

"No! I don't care what you do with the rest of the family, I don't give a damn if you set them free, but _Superman must die_!"

"Oh, I don't like that Lois Lane. She's so bossy and stubborn. I don't know what Superman sees in her, anyway. She isn't even that pretty. I bet he just likes her because she's rich. Well, _I'm_ richer than her! Why doesn't he like me?" whined Rachel, blowing bits of dust off of her fresh nails sourly.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you_ locked him in a cage and threatened everyone he knows and loves! Now stop getting distracted and stick to the plan_!" hissed Luthor threateningly, glaring daggers at her. She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"All right, all right, Superman dead and snobby news reporter alive! I got it," she bleated, "Anyway, why are you telling me this? Won't the police figure out what we're up to since you pretty much told them?"

"Well, no. See, I snuck out and hacked into the computer files where they had recordings of what we talked about last visit, something having to do with your aunt's cat, and it's replaying right now. They won't figure out what happened for days, and what are they going to do, give me more time in jail? I have a triple life sentence. Now hurry up and go, we don't have much time," said Luthor slyly, eyeing the guards that lazily watched the prisoners talk to family members.

* * *

Clark lay on his back in the middle of the room. He woke up and looked around; he must have shifted during the night. He groaned. Every particle in his being was wriggling to get away from the radiation. In fact, the only reason he was even alive was because he wasn't in direct contact with the material. Wincing, he also concluded that he wouldn't last much longer.

He glanced at Lois and Richard, both asleep. They were huddled together in a corner, shivering from the cold. Clark wished he could help. Heat vision would really come in handy here. Sighing, he turned away from the couple. They belonged together. He had to remember that he wasn't one of them; he was an alien, a foreigner to this planet and, no matter what, he had to avoid all contact with people besides to do his job.

He made a mental note to warn Jason about the dangers of falling in love with a human, but then remembered that Jason wasn't there. The man of Steel wiped a single tear that he shed for his only son.

* * *

Jason walked calmly down the street, in spite of the growing darkness and the odd looks he was given. He wasn't afraid, even when an odd-looking man leapt from an alley. He was ragged and holding a gun.

"Give me your money, kid," snarled the man. Jason blinked. Why was the man bothering him? He didn't do anything.

"I haven't got any money," said Jason, trying to sidestep the man, who leered and cut him off.

"Empty your pockets," he growled, gesturing with his gun. Jason pulled out his pockets, revealing nothing but lint and a set of house keys. He had been sure to grab them before leaving; he didn't want to be locked out. The ragged man eyed the keys greedily.

"The keys…give 'em here," demanded the man, holding out a grubby hand. Jason looked at the keys, then at the man.

"But they're not my keys," he said softly, pocketing them. He couldn't just give away Mister Clark's things! It definitely wasn't right. Jason heard a click.

"Gimme the keys or I'll shoot," he warned, shaking the gun. Jason sniffed and took a breath with his inhaler. He pulled out the keys, his hand shaking a little. The hobo held out his hand eagerly, and as Jason reached over, his fingers slipped and he dropped the keys.

BANG!

Startled by the sudden dropping of keys and expecting a trick, the hobo had shot. Gasping, he stared at the kid, who stooped over to pick up the keys like nothing had happened. As he stood to hand them to the hobo, the man started screaming and running away. Jason stared after him, confused, before pocketing the keys and continuing down the street, a crumpled bullet the only evidence of the meeting.

* * *

"Well, looks like its time to pop the cork," said Rachel cheerfully, examining her captives. She stopped when she saw Superman, writhing on the floor.

"Huh…I didn't know kryptonite was that strong against him. Too bad he's dying. If I wasn't on strict orders not to, I'd totally date him," she said, standing up again and shooting a smile at Richard and Lois, who were sitting not too far from their blue-clad hero.

As soon as Rachel left the room, Lois moved next to Superman, laying a hand on his chest. She hated seeing him suffer like this; he didn't deserve this. A sob caught in her throat. Richard watched the scene, not daring to interrupt. Lois would gut him if he did, so he stayed still, as worried as he was for his new friend. Suddenly, his foot felt wet.

"Lois!"

Lois looked up to see that the room was steadily flooding. The water was gushing from a crack under the door, which meant that the entire ship was sinking. Gasping in horror, she pulled off her shirt and jeans, stuffing them under the door. Richard did the same thing, leaving the two standing in their underwear. They watched as the flow of water slowed considerably, but didn't stop.

"Well, that should buy us some time," said Lois cautiously, not wanting their good fortune to come back and bite her in the butt. Their flooding problem temporarily solved, she turned back to Superman.

"I don't think he's going to last much longer," she cried in a worried tone. Richard came over and put his arm around Lois' shoulders, letting her cry on him. It was the only comfort he could offer.

* * *

Jason wandered around at the dock, feeling a little weak. He took a breath with his inhaler and walked calmly down the wooden planks. Something up ahead caught his attention, and he stared as a ship sank into the depths of the bay. Actually, it wasn't that deep here. Jason walked over to the ship, trying to see through it. After blurring and sending pain to his head, the walls cleared and he saw an indistinct picture of what was inside. He almost couldn't see what was going on, but he noticed something moving. Someone was in there!

Jason dipped a toe into the water, testing to see if it was too cold. It was chilly, but bearable. He slowly lowered himself into the water and swam over to where the ship was. He considered going underwater to save the people, but it was dark down there, and he was afraid. Shivering slightly, he wondered what to do.

* * *

The pressure grew, and as Lois and Richard struggled to keep Superman alive, their clothes that were clogging the water burst out, and the room was filling up faster than before. They were chest-high in water, and Lois waded over to the door to try and stuff the clothes back into the crack. Richard kept Superman above water with moderate difficulty.

Lois couldn't stem the flow of the seawater. She waded back to Richard, clinging to him fearfully. This had happened before, only now the hero was trapped, too. Everything seemed so hopeless. The water was now up to their shoulders, and they would have to start swimming soon.

* * *

Jason dove deep into the water, telling himself that he was Superman and he had to get the people. Swimming steadily, he made a reminder to thank his mother for making him take swimming lessons three times a week. He made it to the ship's side, and, peering through the small window, saw his mother, father, and Superman trapped inside, struggling to stay above water.

Fear clogged his mind, and he grabbed onto the ship's side, digging his fingers in and pulling as hard as he could. Nothing happened. Fear grew to dread as he saw his family inside swimming and slipping underwater. He pulled again, earning the groan of metal being bent, but nothing more. Dread grew to desperation as he saw his family underwater, their hands pressed against the ceiling of the room, water up to their chins. Tears flowing freely and mixing with the salty water, Jason gave a final pull, throwing every ounce of strength he had into the metal, pulling and pulling until he thought his bones would break.

This time, though, an entire sheet of metal peeled from the wall, leaving space for an adult to slip through. Swimming inside, Jason found his parents, Richard the only conscious one. He looked absolutely stunned to see his son, randomly floating around in the last place possible to find him.

Jason pointed to the gap, and Richard grabbed Lois and Superman, kicking off the ceiling and making his way towards the gap. Slipping out, he swam as fast as he could to the surface, with two deadweights pulling him down. He managed to climb onto the dock, pulling up the pair with an astounding burst of strength.

He and Jason lay on the dock for a full ten minutes, breathing hard. He then wiggled to Lois' side, placing his head on her chest and hearing the reassuring heartbeat. Then, he checked Superman to find another considerably slower, heartbeat. He also noticed that it was slowing steadily.

"Lois? Lois, wake up," he whispered, shaking her. She groaned and sat up, immediately leaning over the dock to throw up. Richard shook Superman.

"Superman? Superman! Get up," he murmured, shaking him also. Unlike Lois, nothing happened. He didn't even stir.

"Lois, nothing's happening! I think he's dying," said Richard anxiously, and she looked around.

"Richard, we have to get him out of here! The bay is stuffed full of kryptonite, and it's killing him," she said, trying to lift Clark. She didn't even come _close_ to picking him up. Richard grabbed him under the arms and also tried, lifting his upper half into the air. Lois scurried around him and lifted his feet.

"Mommy, why are there a bunch of people tied up?" asked Jason curiously.

"What?" Lois looked around, and saw the policemen that were supposed to back her up tied and gagged. She and Richard set Superman carefully in the back seat of the car, then ran to untie an officer.

"What happened?" she asked, looking around. He sat up and rubbed his head.

"It was an ambush, that's what happened! Ma'am, you go home for now, we'll check up on you later, but I need to untie my troops," he said, looking around. Lois nodded and ran back to the car.

"Where do I sit?" asked Jason inquiringly, examining Superman lying in the back seat. Lois looked around the car.

"Here, you can sit on mommy's lap," she said, lifting Jason and securing him against her. He looked back to check on their passenger, and then settled against his mother.

"Mommy, are you mad?" he asked gingerly, feeling suddenly tired. She managed a chuckle and stroked his hair.

"No, sweetie. I'm not mad…but never pull a stunt like that again," she warned, trying to sound stern instead of weak with relief. Her son was alive!

"By the way…how did you pull that stunt?" asked Richard, glancing at Lois, who cringed and looked away. Jason shrugged.

"I pulled on the metal and it came off," he said, wondering what all the fuss was about.

"I knew it," muttered Richard resentfully, "I was right!"

Lois sighed. It had been months, she had finally found a man she had thought dead for half a year, and all he could say was 'I was right'?

"Richard, not that again. Wait a minute…Jason, didn't you feel…really weak?" she asked, confused. Superman's weakness was kryptonite, and Jason was his son…shouldn't that have made Jason helpless?

"Kind of…but not really," he confessed, shrugging. Richard drove on, and Lois recognized where he was trying to go. She set a hand on his shoulder.

"Richard, honey, we can't go to our house," she said softly, hoping he would take it well. He glanced at her, confused.

"Why not?" he asked, bewildered. She took a deep breath, and he felt a sense of alarm.

"Well, after you…after the accident, we started having some financial problems, so I…I sold the house."

Richard gaped at her for a second, then shut his mouth and pulled the car over. He turned to Lois.

"So where do we go?" he asked, feeling a sense of loss. His life had changed in ways he didn't believe possible.

"Jason and I are staying at Clark's house for the time being," she said, and he started up the car again.

"So where's his house?" asked Richard bitterly. It wasn't enough that their house was gone and his relationship with his fiancé was steadily going downhill, she was also staying with another man. Why couldn't it have been with some other woman?

They reached Clark's house, and Jason unlocked the door with the spare key he had brought with him. They entered the house, Richard and Lois carrying in Superman. Lois checked his heartbeat. It was steady, and it was increasing. That was a good sign.

Richard wandered around the house as Lois started up the stove to cook something for him and Jason, and Superman if he woke up. He examined the pictures closely. He had almost forgotten that Clark was Superman, which was revealed by Rachel. It seemed impossible to imagine that Superman was ever a child, but looking at the pictures, Richard found it easy to see Clark as a child.

He walked into the living room, which was connected to the kitchen separated only partially by a bar table. Jason was on his stomach watching cartoons, and Lois was preparing ravioli. It seemed like the incident with the ship had never happened, with the exception that he and Lois were in their underwear. Richard cleared his throat and Lois turned around.

"Oh, Richard, I nearly forgot we left our clothes at the ship," she said abashedly. She left the pasta to cook as she and Richard went to find clothes.

"Now, I have all my clothes, but I guess you don't have yours. It's a long story, and I didn't want to keep all your things because…well, they made me sad, and…I…" she stuttered, and Richard knew what she was trying to say. He hugged her close.

"It's okay, Lois, I'm sure Clark wouldn't mind if I borrowed something of his," said Richard, perfectly aware that Clark was in the next room. Richard walked out to find Clark's room as Lois pulled herself together.

Richard examined the beige wallpaper and neat desk, trying to find a hint of Superman. He even checked under the bed for anything, but nothing popped up. Sighing, he opened the closet and pulled out a T-shirt and some jeans, neither of which looked like they had ever been worn. Putting them on, he turned to leave the room, running straight into…

"Clark," said Richard, even though Superman stood before him. Now that he looked, it was completely obvious. What the hell made Clark think that glasses would be a good disguise? He stared, but couldn't see Clark under the proud, noble face of Superman.

"Richard, we need to talk," said Clark, shutting the door behind him. Richard nodded, a little overwhelmed, and sat down on the bed. Clark was about to sit next to him when he noticed the shirt and pointed wordlessly. Richard looked down at himself and grinned.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, we used our clothes to try and stop up the water in the ship," he said self-consciously. Clark nodded and sat.

"Listen, Richard, you can't tell anyone that I'm Clark, not even Lois. You shouldn't even know, but I can't really stop you from knowing. Well, I either have to kill you, which I don't want to do, wipe your memory, which I _really_ don't want to do…or have your word that you won't tell a soul," he said, and Richard nodded.

"I'd never tell anybody. I know that telling people would get Lois and Jason hurt, and I don't want that. I'll promise to keep your secret if you promise to take good care of my family," said Richard firmly, looking Clark in the eye. Clark nodded.

"Of course," he said, a split second before Lois screamed. Alarmed, both men leapt to their feet and ran to the door as Lois ran over.

"Richard! Richard, Superman is…"

"Over here with me." Richard said, and Lois nearly fainted. Superman and Richard…alone in a room…were they getting along? It appeared fine, as both men were smiling. Richard suddenly appeared grim.

"Lois, we need to talk."

* * *

I hope you liked chapter eight, chapter nine will be up as soon as possible. Oh, if you liked this story, check out my favorites list, I've got a bunch of fantastic superman stories there, like Deja Vu, unmasked, and masquerade, all of them great. If the authors are reading this, I'd like to compliment them on their work, the stories were all amazing. Please review 


	9. Richard and Clark

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

I kind of like this chapter. It's a little quiet interaction. It gets better, just be patient. Good things can't be rushed. Just be grateful it's really long.

* * *

"What is it, Richard?" asked Lois in a hushed voice when they closed her door. Now, alone with Lois, Richard knew what needed to be done.

"Lois, I love you. With everything in me, I wish you could love me just as much, but I know you don't." he said, and tears gathered in his fiancé's eyes. He wished he could wipe them away, but his hands wouldn't move.

"That's not true, Richard," started Lois, but Richard held up a hand.

"Don't deny it, Lois. You love me, but not with your whole heart. Your heart belongs to someone else, someone I can't even _begin_ to compare with. I can't compare with the savior of Metropolis, _eavesdropper that he is_," hissed Richard, directing the last comment towards the door. Lois stared at him, puzzled, until he turned his attention back to her. "I'm just a man, and I can only take so much. If you marry me, you'll spend all your time wondering if you could have done better, when you can. You'd never be satisfied to be my wife, and we both know that."

"Richard, any woman would be lucky to have you," whispered Lois, grabbing Richard's hands. "I want to be that woman."

"No, you don't. You're only saying that because you love me, but you're not _in love_ with me. And there _is_ a difference. I see it now. I'll stay with you, Lois, but I won't marry you. I'll be there for you, and I'll be there for Jason, but we can't be together. You belong to someone else, and I don't want to come in between that. I'm sorry."

* * *

Clark sat on his bed, listening intently. When Richard had accused him of eavesdropping, he pulled back, startled, but decided that it must be a lucky guess. Resolving to respect their private conversation, he stopped listening. After sitting on the bed for ten minutes, he became impatient and left the room.

The first thing that he saw upon entering the living room was Jason watching television. Clark sighed. Poor Jason, having to go through this. He was just a child! Feeling depressed, Clark decided to cook.

* * *

"Richard, I hope that you find a woman who's _half_ as good a person as you are," said Lois, holding Richard one last time. Richard clung to her like a lost child.

"That's not going to come up for a while," he said, feeling impossibly envious of Clark. How could that man possibly have everything? Sometimes it just wasn't fair.

"Do you smell that?" asked Lois, sitting up. Richard let her go and sniffed. It smelled absolutely heavenly. They looked at each other curiously.

"How long have we been in here?" asked Lois, shocked. Checking her watch, she realized that they had been talking for over an hour. She and Richard rushed out of the room.

Clark stood there, cooking contentedly. Lois stood and gaped, while Richard stifled a laugh.

"Clark? But how…what…_where have you been_?" she demanded, rushing over to smack his arm. He flinched timidly, and Richard nearly passed out trying not to laugh. Damn, that man was a good actor. He really had them fooled!

"Well, uh, it's actually a long story, see, I had a lead on this woman, uh, Rachel Jennings, and that she was after hostages I think, so I went to check the place out, down by the shipyard, and what would you know, the woman knocks me out. So, here I am, two days later, waking up amidst a pile of old metal," he stuttered, and Lois looked positively livid.

"You couldn't have left a message or something?" she yelled, smacking his arm again. Richard looked absolutely hysterical, and Clark scowled at him over Lois' shoulder.

"Well, I thought I'd be back before dinner," he said apologetically, giving her a goofy half-smile. She growled at him and looked in the oven.

"Are those rolls? And is that a chicken pie? Clark, what have you been up to?" she asked, her friend forgiven. He handed her a cup of hot, fresh coffee, and she gasped.

"You suck-up, you! Hand it over, Smallville!" she snatched the cup of coffee and held it to her nose, sighing. Clark grinned.

"I thought you might like to relax tonight, so I cooked dinner," he said mildly, gesturing to the countertop. She stopped.

"Wait, what about my ravioli?" she asked, and he didn't look so happy anymore. He pointed to the stovetop.

"Well, guess you were in there a long time," he said sadly. She slapped her head when she saw the shriveled remains of her pasta.

"Clark, you are a lifesaver," she sighed, sipping her coffee. Richard looked like he was going to burst. Clark glared at him. This was why he never told anybody.

"Wait, where did Superman go?" she asked, looking around. Clark and Richard exchanged worried looks.

"Aah…who do you think found me?" asked Clark cleverly. Lois shrugged and looked out the window.

"Too bad…I was going to ask if he wanted to stay for dinner," she said ruefully, glancing at her pitiful ravioli.

* * *

The next morning, Richard stood with his bags packed and ready to go. He didn't have much; only what Lois had saved for him. He hugged Lois goodbye and gave her a chaste kiss, and then hugged Jason, promising to visit often. Then, to Clark's immense surprise, Richard also hugged him.

"Take care of them," he whispered into Clark's ear. Clark nodded sincerely, and Richard knew he could trust him.

"I'm just going to stay at my uncle Perry's until I can get back on my feet," he declared, hailing a taxi and waving goodbye. He stopped, though, to see the perfect picture before him; a tall, handsome father with his young, lovely wife, holding a beautiful little boy. He wiped a tear from his eye. Oh, how he wanted to be in that picture, but he didn't belong there. He just hoped that Lois could handle the truth.

* * *

It was as busy as usual in the Daily Planet. Perry had them on nonstop assignments with nonstop reports. Clark, as usual, was nowhere to be found, but at least his work was complete and lying on his desk.

Lois ran around the office, trying to find Jason. The last time Jason ran off like this was when he met the evil villainess; she didn't want that happening again. Everyone in the building cleared the way for Lois Lane, afraid to get on her bad side. Ever since she almost lost her son with the Jennings incident, she was like an angry mother bear; ready to attack friend or foe.

Richard and Clark were at a nearby coffee shop, having a drink and talking like old friends. Clark found that since they weren't fighting over Lois anymore, they could find a lot of things to talk about. Topic number one was, of course, Superman.

"So, you're telling me that nobody has ever figured it out? But all you do is put on a pair of glasses!" laughed Richard, sipping his coffee. Clark grinned shyly, having made a new friend.

"It was pretty funny that one time Jason was falling off the counter, and I grabbed him, and Lois ran in, and the entire time I didn't have my glasses, but she didn't recognize me!" he chuckled, thinking fondly of how beautiful Lois looked straight out of the shower. Richard laughed harder.

"I can't believe this! All this time, the biggest hero in Metropolis is stuttering, clumsy Clark Kent? But, is it hard to be that way all the time?"

"I…uh-oh…here comes Lois," said Clark, and the men winced guiltily. They had snuck off to have a break from work, much like cutting class. And here came the teacher.

"You two! One day you're shooting dirty looks at each other, and the next day you're best friends? I can't believe this! One of you better get inside and help me find Jason," she demanded, giving them her coldest glares. Inside, though, she was delighted. It was nice that her whole group of friends was getting along. Clark sighed and stood.

"Alright, I'll go," he grumbled, letting Lois grab his arm and march him inside. He steeled himself. It might be just about time to change from the bumbling co-worker to the smooth superhero. After all, Lois was available, right? And the only way she would notice him was if he was in blue tights. He felt a little envious of his other half. It wasn't fair that she didn't like his other side. It was either all or none. He decided not to visit her as Superman for a while. Maybe she should get to know his other half.

* * *

"Kent! Lane! In my office, now!"

They sighed simultaneously as they heard Perry White call them in. Changing direction immediately, they marched into his office.

"You two…I have an assignment for you, in Kansas," said Perry with utter seriousness. Clark and Lois glanced at each other, then at Perry.

"But sir…"

"I can't…"

"It's not…"

"I don't want to hear your excuses. You two make a damn fine team when you're not down each other's throats. Lois, I want you to lend Clark some of your backbone. Clark, I want you to kick Lois' ass. She needs to stop being so aggressive. You two are leaving tomorrow night, and that's final," ordered Perry, and Lois and Clark grumbled a little but didn't say anything. Perry nodded cheerfully.

"Good to see you agree. Now, hop to it!" he said merrily, promptly kicking the two out of his office.

"You want to get something to eat?" asked Clark timidly. Lois glanced at him and sighed.

"First we have to find Jason, Smallville," she said, looking around. Clark smiled to himself; it had been a while since she had used his old nickname, and he liked it. It felt like old times. He scanned the room quickly with his X-ray vision, spotting Jason immediately.

"Found him," said Clark, leading Lois to his office. There was Jason, sitting in Clark's chair with his head down on the desk, a drawing under his elbow. Lois smiled and lifted the little boy up, leaning him on her shoulder. Clark looked down at the little picture and smiled sadly. It was one of Superman, his bold blue colors flashing against a clear sky. Even with Jason, Superman was the favorite.

Lois left Jason with Richard, who had returned from the shop, and left with Clark. They walked down the street, quietly but not silently. They didn't talk, which was just as well with either of them. Sometimes, Lois just felt like she needed to slow down and smell the roses, which was why she chose Clark to be with when she felt like that.

* * *

They sat in a nice little restaurant ten minutes later, examining the menu. Clark chose the pulled pork shoulder, while Lois chose the chicken parmesan. She twirled her fork as she waited for the meal.

"So what's Kansas like, Kent?" she asked, and he smiled his goofy, amiable smile. She grinned. Oh, how she had missed Clark and his farm boy humor.

"Well, it's no Metropolis, I'll tell you that," he said, "but it's great. My entire childhood…all packed into one word. Anyway, why are we going there, again?"

"Something happened in Smallville…there's been a rumor that a gang is hiding out there, and it's getting dangerous," said Lois, glancing at the waitress and doing a double-take. Her jaw dropped, and Clark busied himself with checking his hands, anything not to look at the woman.

Of _course_, they happened to get the sluttiest waitress in the restaurant. She wore a skirt that looked more like a belt, and her shirt wasn't much bigger. 'Those are totally fake,' thought Lois cattily, eyeing the generous cleavage with a skeptical look. The waitress, Wendy, gave Lois an arrogant once-over, and then turned to flutter her eyelashes at Clark.

"One pork shoulder for the handsome gentleman…and a chicken parmesan for the girl," added Wendy after some consideration. Lois stared at the whore, rage and disbelief flooding her. Did she just call her a 'girl?'

Good old Clark managed to be polite and modest at the same time. Lois, on the other hand, decided instantly not to leave a tip. She turned to glare at Clark.

"What was that? Jesus, Kent, you can do better than her! I can't believe you'd even consider…no, even _humor_ the idea, the notion, that…" she sputtered, not quite sure what she was feeling at the moment; but whatever it was, she didn't like it. Clark looked astonished.

"What are you talking about? Humor what notion?" asked Clark good-naturedly. He found it funny that Lois was so defensive. She found it infuriating. Then she realized that she was actually feeling…jealous. It wasn't a common feeling for her. She had everything she wanted. She had amazing friends, a great job, a beautiful child, and an all-around perfect life. What was missing?

"Check, please," called Clark after they had finished the meal in relative silence. Quiet was never a bad thing with them. It was never awkward, and never strange. They both just seemed to like the serenity of the moment.

"Oh, Clark, no, I'll pick up the tab," offered Lois, knowing full well what her gentleman friend would do. Clark smiled kindly.

"Maybe next time, Lois. Besides, you can leave the tip," he said with a chuckle and a wink. Lois smiled with that conniving look on her face, following Clark out the door. That waitress was getting squat.

* * *

It's not much, but I hate rushing stories. They're the best when the plots are filled with little scenes in between. Please review 


	10. Gingerbread

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman

Actually, I rather like this chapter. It's pretty much useless to the plot, but it's nice. I can tell when I've done a good job and when I haven't, and in my opinion, I did a fairly good job. But please, leave your opinion. I hope to see lots of reviews!

* * *

Lois was packing for the big trip. She had everything prepared, and Richard was going to watch Jason while they were gone. She sighed as she folded some socks. Richard was such a good man; this shouldn't have happened. She hadn't even seen Superman since the kryptonite incident. What if he had given up on her? Well, it was certain that the rest of the world saw him frequently. There were videos and pictures of Superman all over the place.

She looked over at Jason, who was playing something pretty on the piano. Lois sighed again; leave it up to Superman and Lois to create a prodigy child. Something was bothering her, though. How did Jason pull a chunk out of the ship lines with kryptonite? That was something to ask his father. She walked outside onto the balcony over the water.

Searching the skies, she hoped to see the familiar blue and red. The wind ruffled her dark, wavy hair, and a light mist of seawater cooled her face. She leaned on the railing.

She should have suspected something when she heard a creak. Frowning, she leaned over the edge and looked around. There was nothing there but a cliff drop leading to a shallow bay. She shuddered when she saw the barely-concealed jagged rocks sticking up above the otherwise smooth surface of the water. Making a reminder to figure out how to remove them, she pressed her hand on the rail to push herself back up.

After a moment of sudden pressure, the rail gave a groan, followed by a snap. Losing her balance, Lois fell screaming to the rocks below, terrified out of her mind. She curled instinctively into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut, braced for the wave of pain.

Of course, she never hit the rocks. She didn't even hit the water. Lois actually wasn't even sure why she was scared. It was like Superman had an eye on her at all times. She slowly uncurled, cradled in Superman's arms. He smiled down at her, and she melted.

"Why can't you just call me like normal people? Why do you seem to throw yourself at death on a daily basis?" he teased gently in his deep voice. She smiled shyly and looked down at the water passing under them. He wasn't taking her back to her house. Then, she remembered what she wanted to talk to him about.

"We have to talk…about Jason," she said, unable to look him in the eye. She had tried to push him out of her life for so long, had even ignored him when Richard 'died,' and he didn't deserve that.

"What's wrong with Jason?" he asked, stopping in midair and standing straight, levitating so Lois could rest her feet on his. It was like the night at the Daily Planet, where he took her to the sky and showed her Metropolis. Only this time they were surrounded by the sun and sea, basking in the glow of peace.

"Well…he was exposed to kryptonite, and the effects weren't as bad as they were with you. He still…he still had super-strength," she said, and he looked thoughtful.

"Maybe it doesn't affect him because kryptonite doesn't affect humans," he said, thinking hard. Lois shook her head.

"No, when we were on Luthor's ship, he was also exposed to kryptonite, and he tried to push himself away from it," she said. To her surprise, Superman smiled.

"Well, maybe it weakens him, but I guess the effects aren't so bad with the human blood in him," he said abruptly flipping onto his back with Lois lying on top of him. She gasped in surprise when she found her face mere inches from his.

"But let's talk about you for a while. How's the family?" he asked, and Lois giggled despite herself. Here was the one man on Earth that could make her giggle and swoon like a lovesick schoolgirl.

"Well, Jason's doing fine, he looks more and more like you everyday. He even has your eyes," murmured Lois, running her fingers through that perfect, perfect hair. His vivid blue eyes shone with pride that even Lois could see.

"Richard and I sort of broke it off, though," she said in a more serious tone. Clark nodded sympathetically. Lois shrugged.

"And I think Perry may fire me, I haven't brought him an interview with you in weeks," she said, laughing a little. Clark sat up, and Lois slid back to straddle his legs. His hands kept a firm grip on the small of her back, her hands on his broad shoulders.

"Well, let's get him an interview!" he said, looking very serious. Lois smiled at him. Did this man get any better? She pulled a notepad out of her pocket and a pen from behind her ear. Clark laughed.

"Do you go anywhere without office supplies?" he chuckled, and Lois tapped the paper with the pen.

"That's beside the point, we're supposed to be having an interview!" she said, scowling impatiently at him. He nodded and held up his hands as if to ward her off. Lois laughed until she suddenly started slipping back. Then, she shrieked and wrapped her arms around Superman, terrified. They were at least one hundred feet above the water.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist again. She slowly and cautiously let go, and then glared at him.

"You're trying to kill me!" she demanded, praying that he would never let her go. He grinned cunningly.

"Now who's off track?" he joked, leaning over to kiss her nose. She smacked his shoulder, turning her face to hide her blush. He saw it anyway.

"So…back to the interview. First question…do you have a secret identity?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. The question had bothered her since the day the Jason had asked it, and she had decided to ask him. He frowned.

"Well…yes. But I'd prefer if you didn't write that one down. I don't want to be tracked down by random people so they can figure out who I am. It puts everyone around me into danger," he said, wincing. He had almost forgotten about the 'unable to lie' thing. Boy that was difficult. Also, if he chose not to answer the question, Lois would know he did have a secret identity, and would be hurt he didn't tell her.

Lois frowned. Could Jason be right? Could Clark be Superman? She tossed the idea out of her head with a laugh. Clumsy, bumbling Clark, it was impossible. He was tall, yes, and he _did_ look a bit like him…but wouldn't she have noticed something while she _lived_ with him?

Well…Clark definitely seemed strong enough…but he was too goofy and besides, their voices didn't even sound the same. Clark's was a little higher-pitched. Besides, she was an ace reporter, how could she not have noticed something by now?

"Lois? Are you okay?" asked Clark anxiously. Maybe she would realize that he was Clark. Part of him longed for her to know, but another part was desperate to keep it hidden. So, he settled on letting her figure it out. She blinked and looked down at her paper.

"Oh, right…um…second question…what's your favorite food," asked Lois, smiling, "and keep in mind that your answer could affect the eating habits of millions."

"Oh, ahh…I like everything on the food pyramid, of course! Mainly pastas and lean meat, and I like bread. Carbohydrates are good," he added, and Lois tried not to roll her eyes.

"So you don't eat a lot of sugar or fats?" she asked, jotting down bits and pieces of the conversation. Clark smiled cleverly.

"Does it look like I eat a lot of sugar and fat?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He didn't often compliment himself on how he looked, but he couldn't resist this chance. Lois smirked.

"Got it…no sugar and fats for the Lord of Humility," she muttered, writing it down. Clark laughed and looked down.

"What kind of cologne is that?" she asked seductively, leaning forward to take a deep breath. Clark's heart got stuck somewhere in his mouth.

"Actually, I'd rather not tell. I don't happen to want every man in Metropolis smelling like me," he said, turning his head to nip her neck. She moaned and shuddered, running her tongue along his jaw line. He breathed in deeply.

"Well, I'll tell you what cologne I use if you tell me what kind of shampoo you use," he whispered into her ear. She laughed and kissed him softly.

"I use either Dove or Herbal Essence," she murmured, running her hands along his back. He laughed into her mouth.

"Actually, I technically don't use cologne, I just fly around to nice-smelling places and it kind of sticks," he said, smirking a little. Lois sniffed.

"Mmm, what smells spicy?" she purred, realizing that they stood on the balcony outside her room again.

"Spicy? Oh…that's from stopping a bakery fire in Germany…lots of gingerbread…in fact, I even got a gift basket from the elderly lady owning the store. She was nice," he mumbled against the skin on her collarbone. It was so delicate. Lois pulled away and looked into his eyes.

"Gift basket from Germany, huh? You better share that with me, man of steel," she growled, pushing him onto the bed before pouncing on him. Passion flooded through her, when she realized where she was.

"Oh, damn, I forgot, Clark's coming home in fifteen minutes, and I'm supposed to be packing!" she yelled, leaping off the bed before freezing and leaping back on to give Superman a swift kiss.

"I'm so, so sorry, but you really have to go. I shouldn't have brought you here, even though I'm sure Clark won't be mad, but it's rude to bring another man over when you're staying at a guy's house, and…and…" she blurted all in one breath, frantic. Clark smiled.

"You always talk fast when you're nervous," chuckled Superman in his deep voice. Lois turned around to face him, but when she looked, he was gone. She sat on the bed and sighed, running a hand through her thick hair. Life was so difficult sometimes.

* * *

So? I felt like the story needed a little more Lois/Superman interaction. I hope you like this chapter, please review. Tell me what you like and what you don't like.


	11. Fire

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

This is another filler chapter, not part of the main plot, but has important information all the same. Please review! Oh yeah, just as a reminder, Lucy Lane isn't married in my story.

* * *

Lois sat in her office, stressed beyond belief. She rubbed her temples, wishing the migraine would go away for once. Clark entered the cubicle holding two coffees.

"I though you might need some energy," he said shyly, watching her snatch and down the whole cup. She sighed and sat back into the chair.

"Oh, Clark, you have no idea how tense I am right now. Richard and I had a little fight, I mean, we got over it, but it really takes it out of me, and I had to go to a parent-teacher conference for Jason, he…" she stopped half way, obviously casting ideas around. She gave up and changed the subject.

"Hey, want to go up on the roof," she said, her face a mask of indifference, but her eyes pleading him not to push the question. He sighed and decided to appreciate any time spent with her.

"Sure, why not," he said, letting Lois drag him to the elevator. Sometimes, indifference was better than interest. He followed her to the edge of the building.

He also snuck occasional glances at her. She was so lovely, with the wind caressing her face and blowing her back. He blushed a little and looked at his hands. Would she ever love him for Clark? Would she always see Superman as her one and only love?

"You know, Clark, I think you're the only friend I can really, honestly trust," said Lois, staring out at Metropolis. Clark swallowed and nodded, feeling that little pang of guilt somewhere in his gut. It made him feel bad to hide something so big from Lois. Could she really trust him?

"No, don't say that," he managed to say, and she looked up and smiled at him. He avoided her gaze, but she didn't notice.

"Yeah, it's true. I mean, Rachel turned out to be one crazy bitch, and Richard…well, I think it's more of the matter that _he_ doesn't trust _me_; not that I blame him, _I_ don't trust me," she said, more to herself than to Clark. He felt his hair stand on end when her shoulder brushed his, but she didn't seem to notice. How could she not see what she did to him, and yet she could see it oh so clearly in Superman?

Lois looked up at Clark, who pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose self-consciously. Frowning, she reached up to take them off, cleaning them affectionately on her long skirt.

"You're such a good friend, Clark. I know I can always depend on you," she said, handing his glasses back to him. Muttering thanks, he slipped them back on. Lois leaned forward to catch his eye. When she did, she was stunned.

Clark had some of the most beautiful blue eyes that she had ever seen. Well, there was one exception, but…he couldn't possibly be…Lois blinked, reaching up to smooth Clark's hair. Clark instinctively pulled away, starting to say something, but stopping when he heard sirens. Someone screamed…someone familiar.

"I have to go, Lois," he exclaimed, turning to race down the stairs, not even taking the elevator. Lois stared after him, confused beyond belief with a killer migraine to boot.

Clark didn't even waste time unbuttoning. He just tore off his clothes and rocketed out of the building at top speed. He blasted into the air, leaving a whirlwind of dust and wind behind him.

* * *

"Look! Up in the sky! It's Superman!"

People were calling his name all over the city. As he shot by the bridge, he heard multiple exclamations, all of which were lost to him right now. This wasn't the time to bask in the publicity, not that he ever did.

He reached the building before the fire truck did. There, he saw his house, the house that wasn't even his, completely and utterly consumed with fire. Without a second glance, he shot into the building.

The rooms were filled with smoke and flames. Wood covered in fire tumbled everywhere, and Clark heard the floorboards beneath him groan under his weight. He instantly levitated an inch above the ground as he ran through the house.

He remembered that Richard was here, too. His uncle Perry had given him the day off, and it was being spent with Jason, babysitting him for Lois.

"Richard? Jason?" he called, searching everywhere. He was frantic and ready to tear down the walls to find his family. He was about to leave the room when he heard a faint cry.

Whipping around, he scanned the room with his X-ray vision to find two figures crouched behind the sofa. Zooming over, he lifted the coughing Jason and the unconscious Richard over his shoulders. Then, he flew out the bay window to touch down safely onto the ground. Jason looked like he was having trouble breathing. Clark noticed, with a sickening drop in his stomach, the inhaler clutched in the tiny hand.

"Please! He has asthma," he told the firemen, reluctantly handing them his son. He then handed them Richard. He turned to notice the police dragging two struggling boys to the cop car. Filled with rage and terror for his only son, he felt like no matter what he did for the world, they always paid it back doubled with hatred. Sometimes he wondered if it was worth it. Then, he looked at Jason and knew it was.

"He's going to be okay. I'm not sure why, he…he shouldn't have been able to survive that fire with asthma…but he's okay," said a fireman, handing Jason to his father…his father meaning Clark, not Richard.

Richard walked over, scared but okay. He smiled at his friend.

"Well, that was definitely one of the scarier moments in my life, not including the ones that have that have something to do with villains aiming revenge at you, where I'm the bait. Note to self, avoid all contact with Superman," teased Richard wearily, patting Clark on the shoulder.

"On the other hand, I suppose it _is_ an advantage having you constantly watching out for the kid," added Richard, ruffling Jason's hair. Jason nodded tearfully and clung to Clark's neck.

"Hey, do you mind if I talk to Jason for a bit?" asked Clark, and Richard shrugged.

"Sure, but I won't cover for you. Lois is going to be furious when she finds out that you didn't come to her first, and I don't want to get in between that," he said, grinning. Clark thanked him and flew off, Jason hugging him tightly.

* * *

After a few minutes of flying, the noise and commotion of the city faded to a faint hum, and Clark flipped onto his back, with Jason sitting on his stomach. He appeared to have recovered from his incident of terror fairly well. He was still a bit pale, but that was okay.

"So, how's school?" he asked, and Jason smiled. Clark loved to spend time with his son. Every moment counted.

"It's okay. I got an A in science and an A minus in math, but I got a C in gym," said Jason, frowning.

"Well, I assume you'll get better at it. Did you make any new friends?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. He wasn't much of a people person when he was younger, maybe Jason wasn't, either.

"Yeah, there's this girl, Katie, she's nice," said Jason, leaning over to look down at the water. It was so far below them!

"Can we go faster?" asked Jason, his eyes gleaming with hope. Clark laughed and shook his head.

"No, I don't think so; at least, not until you're older," he said, flipping over and flying back towards the house. Jason laughed, stretching his arms like a bird. Flying was fun.

* * *

Lois stood outside the building, waiting. She was terrified when she heard that their house had caught fire, and had raced over. Of course, nobody was there, and she started panicking until she saw Richard.

"Richard? Richard, where is he? Where's Jason?" she demanded, her motherly instinct overriding her good sense. Of course, it was obvious where he was, but she needed to hear it. If she didn't…

"It's alright, Lois, calm down. He's with…with Superman," he finished, unable to say it. No matter how convinced he was that it was true, he could never call Clark Jason's father. He would always be Jason's father, no matter what. Lois seemed not to notice his internal struggle.

"Ooh, that Superman, when he lands, I'm going to shred him. I don't care if he's made of steel or if he's made of cotton…that man dies," she hissed so venomously that Richard actually recoiled. Lois hadn't relinquished Jason willingly since the ship accident, and she wasn't likely to now. She searched the skyline, waiting for it. Finally, there it was. A distinct blue splotch in the sky, and something small and brown…Jason's brown jacket!

She waited. It could wait until he landed. Once Superman's feet touched ground, she stomped over, the fury and passion that had made her a star reported and could bring the man of steel to his knees crackling in her eyes. When Superman noticed her, a guilty look shadowed his face, tinted with mild amusement that infuriated Lois.

"You…you…you think you can just fly off with my son, right after a fire, and poof away to happy-flying world without telling his mother?" she raged, every word making the son of Krypton cringe. She smacked his shoulder, wishing that she had a nice chunk of kryptonite right now.

"We need to have a talk, Superman, and you better not put this off," she snarled, snatching Jason from his grip. Clark smiled mildly as he watched her storm off, not a single reporter daring to stand in her way. _That_ was the woman he fell in love with. Suddenly, a cry for help reached his ears, and he flew off with a sigh.

* * *

Less than ten minutes later, he reappeared onto the scene, straightening his tie. He even managed an amazed cry.

"What happened? My house!" he yelled, pushing through the crowd to find Lois standing in front of the burned building, looking forlorn.

"Some crazy teenagers started this fire. I'm just glad Superman managed to save Jason and Richard," she said despondently, staring at the remains of the house. Clark tried to see anything worth saving in the ashen pile, but saw nothing. Richard frowned.

"You guys can stay at my uncle Perry's, with me," he said, trying to think of a way to fit them all in the house. His uncle was fairly rich, but preferred a smaller, cozier dwelling.

"No, we couldn't, but thank you, Richard," said Lois, thinking hard. Suddenly, she remembered something about her sister, Lucy, moving to Metropolis.

"Clark, would you mind terribly if we stayed at my sister's house?" she asked. Clark looked at his hands unhappily.

"Well, no…I mean, no, I don't mind, not no you can't…not that I could stop you…not that I want to, I mean," he stuttered, and Lois smiled, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"And by we, I mean all of us," she said, and Clark looked considerably more cheerful.

"Oh…well, alright, then, I guess, until I can get back on my feet," he said, grinning a little, and Lois laughed. Was this some big plot? To destroy whatever house Lois lived in so she would be forced into the streets? 'Well, I better warn Lucy," thought Lois, laughing a little. If anyone was going to burn down Lucy's house, it was going to be Lucy.

* * *

"Are you sure it's okay? I mean, are you _sure_?" insisted Lois, and Lucy groaned again.

"Yes, I'm sure, Lois, its fine. Seriously, it's okay! Honestly, it's like you _want_ me to say no," grumbled Lucy, leading her sister and family into the house. It was small, smaller than Clark's, but it was well-furnished and mildly neat.

"You're staying in the guest room, Lois, Jason is in the game room, there's a twin bed in there, and you…" she pointed at Clark and hesitated, thinking.

"I'll stay on the pull-out couch?" he suggested humbly, pushing his glasses up with the tip of his finger. Lucy nodded, and then stopped.

"Wait, how did you know it was a pull-out?" she asked, staring at him. He gulped and shrugged, not liking the spotlight.

"I've seen the model before…somewhere. It was at a furniture store," he said, hoping it would be bland enough to work. It wasn't.

"I got that couch when I was on vacation in Hawaii," she said, and Clark did some super-fast thinking. It worked, and a thought popped to mind.

"Really? I went traveling, too! I was actually gone for the last five years doing some soul-searching," he said, and Lucy laughed and her hand flew up to her chest.

"Oh, that's amazing! You were in Honolulu, right?" she asked, and Clark nodded eagerly, relieved. "Yeah, I found the most original bits of furniture there, and I just couldn't help it, I had to have the set."

"Aunt Lucy, is it okay if Muffy stays here, too?" asked Jason timidly, holding the leash of the half-grown puppy. Lucy knelt next to Muffy and scratched her pointed ears.

"Why, sure, Jason, I don't mind dogs at all," she reassured him, standing up and taking Lois' bags.

"Okay, the guest room is down this hall, I'll show Jason where he'll be sleeping in a minute, and Clark," she said, turning to face him, but he was gone. Looking around confusedly, she noticed Lois sigh.

"He does this a lot."

* * *

Clark circled the globe, searching and searching. He had just stopped a tsunami from hitting the east coast of Japan, and decided to think up a good excuse while he looked for Rachel Jennings. It was odd, it seemed like she was never around when he looked. Being super fast, he could search every nook and cranny of the earth in record time, which he tried to do every night, but he couldn't seem to find her. It was almost like she disappeared from the planet!

Lucy unpacked the results of their shopping trip and paid the babysitter. Lois had been very, very reluctant to leave Jason at home, but couldn't deny that she needed some time for herself. As a result, Lucy had taken her shopping, convincing her that she needed more clothes. All of the clothes that she had owned were burned in the fire, and she couldn't wear Lucy's clothes forever.

"Okay, we got groceries, we paid the babysitter, and we got clothes…"said Lucy, checking off the items on her fingers. "But where's Clark? I haven't seen him all day, ever since I was showing you guys to your rooms!"

Lois shrugged, and right then Clark walked in, looking breathless and rumpled. The two girls stared at him.

"I…I forgot something at work," he admitted, wriggling a little under the double stare down he was receiving.

"And so you decided to _run_ there?" asked Lucy, bewildered. Clark paused, realizing that he left his car in the driveway, and then nodded. Lucy was sharp. He had to be careful around her.

"Clark, why didn't you just take the car?" inquired Lucy, and Clark looked around desperately.

"I felt like I needed a workout. You went shopping?" he changed the subject swiftly, and the girls didn't seem to notice. Lucy excitedly showed him everything she had bought. She was much different than Lois, Clark perceived. Pretending to be interested, he let her carry on for a while.

"Yeah, listen, I'm kind of tired, I think I'll go to sleep," he said, not even needing to fake a yawn. He _was_ tired, but he wouldn't be sleeping. He would wait until the others were asleep before he left to fight crime. Lucy and Lois nodded, dismissing him from the kitchen to the living room. He left wearily. Lucy shot a mischievous glance at Lois.

"He's kind of cute. Can I have him?" asked Lucy, and Lois felt an odd sensation, like when she and Clark had that waitress that kept hitting on him. What was that feeling again…oh yeah, envy.

"No, Lucy! Leave poor Clark alone," she snapped, and Lucy pulled back.

"Geez, Lois, do you want him?" asked Lucy skeptically. Lois thought for a moment. She was in love with Superman, not Clark, wasn't she? And Lucy was her sister; she couldn't do that much damage. Reluctantly, Lois shook her head.

"No. He's fair game," she said, hating the way she said it. Lucy always considered unmarried guys 'fair game,' and Lois hated talking like that. It didn't seem right. Lucy grinned and headed off to bed, winking at her older sister. Meanwhile, Clark was secretly listening from another room, flattered but deeply hurt.


	12. Paris

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Author's note: I really like this chapter, it's one of my favorites. My favorite one is when Superman takes Lois flying. I liked that one, it was chapter eight or nine, I think. Maybe ten. Please review, it really inspires me to write more.

* * *

"Listen, Lois, I think I'm going to take that job offer I got, the one in Paris," said Richard unhappily. Lois gasped, her attention caught. The office room was very noisy today, and very crowded. TVs blared the news at all times, Superman on almost every channel.

"Richard, no, Jason needs you," said Lois, reaching out to place her hands on his shoulders. He looked away uncomfortably.

"I'll stop to say goodbye before I go, but I'll be back for holidays and such, maybe even some weekends. I know it's the right thing to do, and Jason…Jason _has_ a father," said Richard with an incredible burst of effort. Lois seemed to know exactly how hard this was for him. She reached out and hugged Richard close.

"Sometimes, I wish I had never met Superman," she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. Richard held her gently.

"You know what, Lois? Sometimes, I wish you hadn't met him, too, but then I see Jason and I'm glad you did," said Richard, holding back tears to appear strong for the love of his life and the child that wasn't his. Clark listened from across the room, filtering out the noise and commotion of the newsroom. Feeling guilty, he stopped and focused his attention back to Jimmy. He never really liked using his powers for his personal life, and that included now.

"…and would you believe it, I had forgotten to buy more film! I was just clicking away with a full roll! I practically had a flip book on Superman lowering the globe, and it turned out that none of the pictures came out! That was one of the most frustrating moments of my life," finished Jimmy Olsen. Clark blinked and tried to pretend he had been listening. He nodded and hoped Jimmy wouldn't notice how oblivious he looked. Fortunately, Jimmy wasn't that clever and didn't see.

* * *

Dressed in blue, he landed on Lucy's porch, to the left of the door. Lois Lane walked out quickly, not even noticing him. He smiled a little, and walked up behind her. She lit her lighter and lifted it to the cigarette, and of course he blew it out. Surprised, she looked to her right, and then to her left, but didn't see him behind her, blowing over her shoulder. She decided it was the wind and lit it again.

"You know, that's going to kill you one day," he said in his deep, soothing voice, and Lois jumped, whipping around to see him standing there. Her hand flew to her cheek.

"Oh, you scared me," she said, breathing hard. He just smiled that charming, award-winning smile. It terrified men and enchanted women at the same time. Lois was on the women's side.

"So, you wanted to talk?" he asked, walking forward. A little in awe of him, she stepped back, fearful. He stopped right in front of her, his piercing blue eyes holding hers.

"Yes…I did. So, I noticed you've been visiting Jason at night," she said, reaching up with a gentle finger to trace the S symbol on his chest. He chuckled.

"I like to keep an eye on my family," he said, smiling at her. She looked down, unable to bear his perfection for a moment. When she looked up, her gaze was as steady and powerful as ever.

"Lucy isn't here," she said casually, not quite sure why she brought that up. Clark knew just what to say.

"Lucy? Lucy who?" he asked, tilting Lois' chin up, bewildered by her beauty. Lois was so fierce, so lovely…it was an unnerving combination.

Lois stood on the very tips of her toes and kissed him, ever so lightly, on the lips. He wrapped one arm around her waist while one hand held the back of her head to draw her in, and kissed her more deeply. She pulled away to draw breath.

"Jason's in the next room," she gasped, trying to fill her lungs. She melted when Superman smiled at her again, taking a step back.

"I'll see you around, Lois," he murmured, diving off the balcony to fly away into the night. Lois watched, trying to smooth her hair and steady her breathing. She needed to separate dreams from reality, and soon.

* * *

Clark hated himself. It wasn't right to come between Lois and Richard like that, even though she had made her choice clear. He flew for a long time, until a crisis called his name and he flew to the relief of doing something right.

* * *

"Jason, we need to talk," said Lois, taking her young son's hand. Immediately catching on, Jason's defense rose.

"What's wrong?" he asked timidly, sitting on the couch in between his mother and father. Their quick, worried glances at each other that they thought he didn't see answered him. Something was wrong. Lois cleared her throat, trying to find a way to soften the blow.

"Jason, honey, your father is going on another trip, to Paris," she said gently, watching her son's face anxiously. It looked mildly relieved, and Lois felt worse.

"When are you coming home?" he asked, his large blue eyes turning to his father. Richard opened and closed his mouth, swallowing painfully. Those eyes…they were Clark's eyes. How had he not noticed them before? Richard's eyes were not near as vivid.

"I'm not coming back for a long time, Jason. But…I will be here for Christmas and Easter and Thanksgiving, and maybe some weekends," he added quickly, seeing tears welling up in his son's eyes. Huh…it was funny in a not funny kind of way; tears welling up in the eyes that weren't his in the face of the son that wasn't his.

"So you're going away? And never coming back?" asked Jason, his voice wobbling. Richard opened his mouth to correct him, he _was_ coming back, but somehow he knew what Jason meant; he wasn't going to live with them anymore. Slowly, he nodded. A few tears dripped down from Jason's face, and he looked desperately from Lois to Richard.

"Is it because of us?" he asked softly, and Richard shook his head instantly.

"No, Jason, I love you and I love your mother, but…things have changed, and they're for the better, I think. I'm leaving tonight," he said, trying to make it easier for Jason. It didn't.

"I hate you, I hate you," he wailed, pulling out of Richard's arms and running to the room he stayed in. It _was_ Lucy's house, after all. Richard exchanged looks with Lois. He didn't want the last words he heard from his son before he left to be 'I hate you.'

After waiting for a tortuous five minutes, Richard got up to see his son. When he entered the room, he saw Jason, watching the sky. Noticing that Jason seemed to be talking, he snuck up behind him in hopes of hearing what he was saying.

"…and please watch over daddy, I know you're busy, but maybe you could fit him in, too. Mommy and I need you right now, but it's okay if you don't come because you're watching after daddy. Please keep him safe, he gets in lots of trouble sometimes. Don't let the bad people hurt him, protect him for me," whispered Jason, so quietly that Richard had to lean forward to catch what he was saying. Abruptly, Jason spun around, and Richard toppled over from surprise.

"Daddy," he said, reaching out to hug him, "I don't hate you anymore." Richard sat on the bed and pulled Jason into his lap, facing the large bay window. Jason smiled and waved. Richard peered at him curiously.

"Were you praying?" he asked, and Jason didn't answer for a second. Then, he shook his head.

"No, I was telling Superman to watch over you, too," he said, pointing at a random place in the sky. Richard squinted.

"I don't see him," he said confusedly, looking around. Jason laughed.

"Don't be mean," he scolded, and Richard stared at him.

"I wasn't being mean, I really can't see him!" insisted Richard, and Jason looked at him curiously.

"I wasn't talking to you," he said bluntly, pointing up. Richard looked hard, but didn't see anything.

"He can hear me, even though we're far. I can hear him, too. He told me you were behind me," said Jason casually, and Richard was startled. Was Jason developing his powers already? He stared up and let out a half-smile, wiggling his fingers at the unseen superhero in the sky.

"He's waving, look," whispered Jason excitedly. Richard squinted again but still didn't even see a speck. Giving up, he sighed.

"So what did you talk about?" he asked, looking down at his beloved son. Jason smiled at him, and turned to kiss his cheek.'

"I was just asking him if he could watch over you, too, and maybe visit you for me," said Jason, snuggling into his father's lap. Richard smiled, running his fingers through Jason's hair.

"Well, thank you, Jason," he said, not sure what else there was to say. His eyes filled with tears as he held his son for the last time until Christmas.

"I love you, daddy," murmured his son sleepily, hugging his father. Richard held Jason until he was sure he was asleep, and then laid him softly into bed, making sure to tuck him in. Looking to the sky, not even sure if the hero in blue was still there, he mouthed a silent 'thank you,' and left the room. It was comforting to know that his son was being watched by the most powerful guardian angel in human history.

* * *

It took quite a while to convince Jenna to baby-sit again. In fact, Lois had spent an hour persuading the poor girl to come and watch Jason. There was no one else. Clark had some unknown meeting to attend; Lucy was on a date, and Jimmy was out of town. She needed someone to watch Jason for the next few hours, at least until eleven, while she dropped Richard off at the airport. She didn't want Jason to wake up and be alone, not that he would ever really be. Superman was always there to watch him, but what if he suddenly had to go save someone's life? It wasn't safe.

Finally, Jenna agreed to baby-sit again, on the condition that she got a raise from her usual fare. She arrived at the door, and had even brought her own baseball bat, made of metal. Lois would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious. She left Jenna the usual list of numbers and emergency medications, and then left to take Richard to the airport.

* * *

It was all going well with Jenna. She had locked and bolted the doors, made sure all windows were shut and locked, and then finally flopped down on the couch to turn on the TV. She lowered the volume to make sure Jason wouldn't wake up, but she wasn't worried. Jason slept very soundly.

Finally relaxing for the first time in weeks, she felt her eyelids begin to droop. Fighting the sleepiness, she reminded herself how bad it would look if she fell asleep right in the middle of baby-sitting. She was supposed to _watch_ a sleeping kid, not be one!

She was quite comfortable and peaceful on the living room couch, watching TV, when she heard a noise come from upstairs. She sat straight up, her fingers curling around the base of the bat and her ears alert for any noise. Her nerves were tingling, and her stomach dropped. Were these people robbed every night or something? She waited with baited breath.

There it was again! It kind of had a squeaky noise to it, like…like…a window being opened! She suppressed a scream, and rose to her feet, raising the bat like she was in a baseball game. Her sweating hands struggled to grip the bat as tight as possible.

She had never appreciated the fact that the stairs here didn't squeak as much as she did right now. Tiptoeing up the stairs, she tried to determine where the noise was coming from. She listened, and heard the distinct thump of feet on a floor. Trying not to whimper, she realized that the noises were coming from…Jason's room! Maybe it was just Jason…no, she could hear his soft snores from the stairs. Her hands weren't slick with sweat anymore. Quite the contrary, they were cold and clammy.

She moved a little faster, hoping the intruder couldn't hear how loud her heart was beating or her ragged breathing. She was at the top of the stairs now…the door was open, and she could see the silhouetted figure of a man against the moonlight…she gasped. He was huge! She whimpered soundlessly until she noticed that his back was to her. She snuck forward, inch by inch, until she was right behind him.

She swung the bat as hard as she could right when the man turned around. It struck the side of his head…and nothing happened. He didn't even flinch. In fact, the only thing that happened was that Jenna received a painful shock in her arms when the bat vibrated like she had been trying to knock down a brick wall. She stared openmouthed into the face of Superman before she passed out on the floor.

* * *

Clark had just been saying good night to Jason, and decided to watch his son sleep for a minute before he left to fight crime. He looked so peaceful, and Clark wished he could sleep like that, too. He would have noticed the noise coming from behind him, but he was too entranced by the perfection of his little boy. He could hear the sound of skin against carpet, but assumed it was just Muffy coming up to sleep on Jason's bed. He hadn't put much thought into it until he heard the noise right behind him, and the sound of breathing was coming from much higher up than where Muffy's mouth would normally be. He turned around quickly…and was struck in the head with a baseball bat. He didn't move. He wasn't worried. In fact, the only thing he really felt was his worry for the poor babysitter when she felt that recoil. Of course, she passed out.

After saying goodnight to Jason one more time, he lifted the poor girl and carried her downstairs, where he placed her on the couch. Nothing bad would happen tonight; he made sure to keep an open ear for them.

* * *

Lois stopped and looked Richard in the eyes for the first time in a while. They were bright and filled with tears, much like her own. She reached out to hug him, and he clung to her like a child. She held him tightly for a while, wishing there was a better way than this. She pulled away and watched Richard's face as a few tears slipped down her cheek, then leaned up and gave him a light, chaste kiss on the mouth.

"Goodbye," she whispered, and he hugged her again. This was probably the last time he could hold her like this, and he soaked in every second.

"Goodbye," he responded, his voice ragged. He kissed her forehead, and then turned to get on the plane, carrying his bags. Lois stood still, wishing she could rewind until she had never met Richard. But then she stopped herself from thinking that. Richard had helped her through five years of heartbreak, and had been a father to Jason while Superman was gone. She realized that she wouldn't rewind the last five years even if she could.

* * *

Rachel Jennings sat in a comfortable chair, thousands of miles above the ground. She glanced down at the earth revolving under her, and the stars that surrounded her. Huh, maybe she should do some soul searching out here, it was unbelievably tranquil. She talked lazily into a recorder journal.

"Alright, Superman is dead and I'm up in space. The crystal thing should be here by tomorrow, and daddy's jail buddies have apprehended the crew. Everything is going as planned."

* * *

Okay, it wasn't all that relative to the plot, but it solved the question about where Rachel Jennings was, and why Clark couldn't find her. Oh, she doesn't know Clark's alive because she's been in space for the last few weeks, and Lex Luthor doesn't know either, because I'm pretty sure the jail guards wouldn't give him papers that tell him the whereabouts of Superman or reveal his location. Oh, just a side note, it's kind of stupid, but Lex doesn't know that Superman is Clark, Rachel assumed he already knew, so she didn't mention it. Please Review!


	13. Getting Milk

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I love getting them. Hah, just a side note in case you haven't noticed already, bad things always happen when Jenna babysits; or, at least, to her.

* * *

Lucy strolled into the living room, setting a cup of coffee on the table for Clark when he woke up. She bit her lower lip when she saw Clark fast asleep, his bare arms curled under the pillow. Despite the cool weather, he had kicked the covers down a bit, revealing his back. Lucy meandered casually closer, until she was right behind him.

Her eyes swept over him, admiring his well-built torso. She mouthed a 'wow.' Suddenly, she noticed a rather long scar on his lower back, about two inches long. Cautiously, curiously, she reached out a slender finger to touch the mark. Lightly, she stroked the indent, wondering. At contact, thought, Clark bolted upright, and Lucy yelped, covering her mouth so as not to wake Jason. Breathing hard, Clark looked around and noticed Lucy. Pausing for a split second, he whisked his glasses from the side table and put them on, turning confusedly to face Lois' younger sister, who changed from pale to bright red.

"I-I just wanted to wake you up, I needed help making breakfast," she said quickly, thinking fast. What other excuse could she have for standing there and ogling him like an idiot? Blushing, she tried a half-smile, and was relieved when Clark shyly returned it. Secretly thanking whoever was watching over her for not making breakfast yet, she led Clark to the kitchen, straightening her fair hair. She wished she had changed out of pajamas, but at least they weren't the awful but comfortable frilly pink ones.

Clark was mixing pancake batter when he noticed something. When he was far from her, Lucy's heart rate and breathing were normal, but every time he came anywhere near her, both quickened. He sighed, pouring the batter onto the pan. Lois was more than a handful; he didn't need another woman to complicate things. Well…Lois didn't seem to notice Clark, but she was all over Superman. Lucy, though, liked him for Clark. Why didn't Lois? Maybe it was because she thought he was just another man here to make things harder for her. He was pretty sure she didn't want to go through the situation she had with Richard twice, even though she wouldn't have to.

Suddenly, he heard people screaming…in German. Gasping slightly, he wondered what to do. He looked around for an excuse, and then had an idea. Trying to hurry, he picked up the jug of milk, shaking his hands a little. Sure enough, he managed to tip the milk while making it look like an accident.

"Oh, shoot, I'm sorry, Lucy, I'll run out and buy more," he stuttered, racing out the door and grabbing his coat. Lucy stared after him for a second, and then huffed, getting some paper towels to clean up the milk. Why was he in such a hurry? It was just milk.

Superman lowered the man gently to the ground. After stopping to distract Lucy, he was almost too late. The suicidal man nearly made it to the ground; it was a good thing the towers in Germany were tall. Smiling and letting the policemen thank him, he decided to stop by and visit Richard. Jason _had_ said to tell Richard about his almost straight A report card…there was still the little matter of gym. Oh well, seven A's and a B weren't going to prevent him from going to college. He flew quickly, stopping by France. Scanning, he found Richard's apartment. Richard had given him the address a while back.

Flying into some dense trees, he quickly changed into his regular clothes. Strolling casually down the street, he entered the city.

"Clark! Come in, come in," said Richard, steering his friend into the apartment. It was rather large and well-furnished, with a beautiful view into Paris. Clark smiled that toothy, farm boy grin at Richard. He was happy for him. Richard deserved every luxury the world had to offer.

"So, how are things back in America?" asked Richard, pouring Clark and himself a coffee. Clark shrugged.

"Alright, Jason sends his love, Lois still doesn't know about me, but don't worry, she's moping in her room. I assume that means she misses you," he said, accepting the hot drink with a relieved sigh. It was times like these he enjoyed having friends.

"Well, I send my love doubled back to Jason, and to Lois if you could tell her…and I wish you good luck surviving what I'm about to tell you," said Richard, his face suddenly sobering. Clark frowned, and Richard handed him a newspaper clipping. Clark read the article out loud.

"Spacecraft abducted by billionaire Rachel Jennings while on the way of her paid tour of the moon. NASA indicates that she had several accomplices, James Johnson, Roger Berrick, Kurt Foghart, Greg Thompson, and Erick O'Hanna. NASA claims that all identified themselves with fake IDs, and hid their real identities along with their criminal records," said Clark, his jaw dropping. No wonder he couldn't find Rachel! She wasn't on the planet! She was right above his head the entire time! Clark would have punched himself if it would have hurt.

"But why would she go into space?" asked Clark, perplexed. Richard shrugged, and they thought about it for a minute.

"Wait a second…she's Luthor's daughter, right?" said Richard suddenly, and they stopped and stared at each other. Of course, Luthor was after fame and fortune, both of which he tried to build last time out of…

"The crystals," breathed Clark, horrified. Richard, though, laughed, and Clark gave him an incredulous look.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" he yelled, and Richard stopped to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Rachel Jennings is toast. Don't forget, she thinks you're dead. The last she saw of you was you dying from the radiation on the boat. Why, then, would she arm herself with kryptonite? The only man it can actually kill is lying dead at the bottom of the bay," said Richard, and Clark grinned. There would definitely be no need to rush; he could wait until she was inside the atmosphere. She had to come down sometime. And when she did, he would be there, waiting for her.

"Thanks again, Richard," said Clark, heading for the door. Time had flown by while he caught up on old times with his friend, and it was past lunch now.

"Lucy and Lois will be wondering where you've gone," laughed Richard, having heard of the breakfast incident hours ago. Clark jumped and turned around.

"Oh, that reminds me, you don't happen to have a new gallon of milk on you, do you?" he asked, chuckling a little. Richard sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, you can have it, I know for a fact you just scanned my refrigerator," said Richard good-naturedly, "But you owe me two eighty-seven."

"Thanks, bye," called Clark, taking the jug and flying out the window, but not before changing into Superman again. The press would have a field day seeing Clark Kent randomly flying around carrying a jug of milk. _That_ was front-cover worthy.

"Damn it, Kent, where have you been?" yelled Lois the instant Clark steeped through the door. He winced and held out the milk, smiling hopefully.

"You were gone for four hours _getting milk_?" she snapped, bewildered. He shook his head.

"Actually, I met up with an old friend of mine on the way, and we sort of lost track of time," he said, and Lucy looked mildly amused.

"Who could be that interesting?" she asked rhetorically, and Clark smiled. They actually bought his story?

"Well, did you forget that we have a dinner party tonight at the office, and we still need to get you a suit?" she asked, and he mentally slapped himself. The dinner party!

"Oh, I think I can whip something up," he said, slipping away to Jason's room. Jason was sitting at his little desk, drawing contentedly. Clark pulled a package out from beneath his coat. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with a ribbon, a little note for Jason sticking up. Clark hadn't read it out of respect, though he was sure that Richard hadn't put anything personal or bad in there.

Jason ripped off the paper and squealed softly when he saw the present, a large brown teddy bear and a tin full of delicious cookies and cakes from France. Then, he noticed the note and picked it up to read. Clark left the room, having delivered the package, and left to find a suit for the party.

"Where could he be?" asked Lois, tapping one high-heeled foot. They had to leave in fifteen minutes, and Clark wasn't even here. He had left to go buy a suit. Lois was dressed in a slim black dress that stopped just below the knee, with slits up the sides. It was rimmed with red, and had a red ribbon around her small waist. Her shoes were black, and had ribbons that wound halfway up around her shins.

Lucy shrugged, looking just as lovely in a light blue dress; her blonde hair pulled up into a neat bun and tied with a blue ribbon. Lois checked her watch again, and tapped her foot. She once again had to go through the trouble of convincing Jenna to baby-sit again, which took an hour and a half _without_ Clark's help. She told Jenna that she must have been dreaming about Superman being in the house, and it worked since Jenna was asleep when she came home.

"I hope he finds something a little more appealing than that tacky suit he usually wears," grumbled Lois, and Lucy laughed.

"I don't know, I think it's kind of cute," she said, just as Clark stepped through the door.

"Where were yo…" she started, her voice fading as she took a good look at Clark. Far from his usual outdated brown suits, he looked fantastic in a black suit, neat and pressed. His hair could do with some styling and the glasses rather ruined the stunning effect, but he looked great all the same.

"Lois? Is it that bad? Because I can change," he stuttered self-consciously, running a hand through his hair. He cringed a little on the inside. He had thought this suit looked rather nice! Maybe she didn't like his sense of style…

"No, no, Clark, you look gr-great…we should go," she said quickly, waving goodbye to the babysitter and urging Clark and Lucy out the door. She blushed a little. Was Clark really just hiding under old, tacky clothes? Or…was Superman?

The thought popped to mind before she could stop it. It actually brought a soft laugh from her lips. Clark, be Superman? It was impossible. She watched as he fumbled the keys trying to open the door for her. How could Superman be that clumsy?

_'Well,'_ a tiny voice said in the back of her mind, _'Superman isn't stupid. He wouldn't just walk around all smooth and handsome, he would pick an appropriate disguise, someone the exact opposite of him…clumsy…awkward…boyish,'_

The thought was unnerving. Right then, Lois Lane decided that she had another story to find; who was Clark Kent?

* * *

This chapter isn't very important, but I always like a little family time for Clark and Co. Besides, it _is_ a comedy, right? Well, I'm currently working on a _not_ comedy, Son of Kal-El, I brought it up earlier, and I was considering it to either be a sequel to this or just related to it; but just by little bits and pieces. It's about Jason when he's seventeen, and he's having a tough time with puberty and trying to figure out if he's on the side of justice or the side of evil. What do you think?


	14. NOTICE

NOTICE

I am terribly, terribly sorry, I will not be able to update for the next few weeks because my older sister is going to be working on applications to college, and I won't be able to get on the computer to type. I really am very sorry, but I will try to post new chapters as soon as possible.


	15. Dinner Party

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

This is a filler chapter, kind of leading up to the next event and subtly introducing new scenes and characters. It's alright, but don't be too harsh with your comments, it's not a main event chapter. I did manage to get on the computer, my sister is at her job currently. Enjoy the chapter!

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The dinner party went well. Clark made some new friends, and Lucy made some new boyfriends. Lois, though, walked around in a daze, not sure of anything anymore. Was Clark Kent Superman? Was it possible? She took another good look at him, trying to match the profiles. '_Stupid glasses,'_ she thought, _'they're always in the way!'_

Growling, she took another sip of wine and grimaced. She had had four glasses already, and heavy drinking wasn't her thing. The wine was starting to taste a little too sweet. Remembering that they were on the third floor of the building, a generally empty floor used for parties, she snuck subtly to the elevator and pressed the up button. She needed something from her office right now.

She tapped her foot impatiently and took a gulp from the glass she still clutched in her hand. Had the elevators always been this slow? It seemed to take forever. When the doors finally opened, she rushed as fast as possible to her desk.

Finding a pen and notepad, she started to write out a heading, but then remembered that if Clark Kent was indeed Superman, he should be able to see it no problem. So, she just stuffed it into her pocket and returned to the party.

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Clark had met some very interesting people, several of which had come from different businesses. He glanced at Lois, and his cheerful mood faltered. She definitely didn't look like she was having a good time. He started to walk over when he saw an old friend across the room.

"Bruce." He wasn't afraid to use his normal, slightly deeper voice with Bruce Wayne, owner of Wayne Enterprises. Bruce turned and let out a chilling smile. Well, chilling for women, anyway. Clark was more or less unaffected.

"Clark." He smiled, revealing rather sharp teeth. Clark held out a hand, which Bruce shook firmly.

"What are you doing out of Gotham? Metropolis is _my_ territory," snapped Clark. Did Bruce consider him incapable of protecting his own city? _That_ ruffled his feathers. As if reading his mind, Bruce laughed dryly.

"It's good to see you again, too, Kent," said Bruce coolly, watching his friend relax a little. He knew he was the dark type, and that made his friend uncomfortable.

"I've heard they made a TV show about you," said Clark softly. Bruce looked around to make sure no one was in earshot.

"Me, or Batman?" he asked dully, "And I've heard that they've been making comic books about you."

"Actually, that one I didn't know," said Clark, perplexed. A comic book? This craze was getting a little out of hand. Then, he remembered where he had been going.

"Ah, it was nice seeing you again, stay out of Metropolis or I'll snap your arms off, blah, blah, blah, the usual," he said quickly, moving away from his dark friend and towards his unhappy female friend. Bruce grabbed Clark's arm.

"I'll break your neck if this is about a woman," he said, trying to see where Clark was looking. Sighing, he noticed Lois Lane.

"That's Lois Lane, I presume? She's good-looking enough, I suppose," he said, and Clark glowered at him.

"I thought we already got to the goodbyes and empty threats, now let me go," growled Clark, pulling a little. He could easily yank free, but ripping off Bruce's arm in the process was an unnervingly imminent possibility.

"Well, I didn't get mine out," said Bruce in his gravelly, serious voice, "I'll kill you for ditching me for a woman, be sure to stop by in Gotham to say hello if you have a chance, but stay out of my crime-fighting territory or I'll skin you alive."

Letting go of his friend, he watched him head for the beautiful woman across the room and sighed. It sure wasn't easy to have a normal relationship with a woman when you're a hero. He had learned that lesson with Natalie Kurt. Well, not that he didn't love her like hell, but it still wasn't easy.

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"Lois? Lois, are you alright?" he asked anxiously. Lois wobbled dangerously while she nodded, and Clark grabbed her upper arms to steady her.

"I'm fine, but this party reeks," she mumbled almost incoherently. Clark sighed and led her towards the door.

"Well, I wish I could help you with that, but I can't. I can, however, take you down the street for a nice glass of water," he said, waiting for the elevator to reach the first floor. Stumbling, Lois followed him onto the street.

They sat in a small diner five minutes later, a cup of coffee for each of them. Lois sighed and rubbed her eyes. Coffee had the kick to knock some senses back into her, but not so much that it gave her a headache. She groaned a little and sipped the hot liquid. Clark watched her, concerned.

She looked up and into Clark's eyes. They were so absolutely blue that they made her look away. She took another gulp of coffee and sighed.

"Clark Kent, I don't know what I would do without you," she said in a much clearer voice. He was visibly relieved.

"Well…I do have the Smallville charm," he said mildly, shrugging. She laughed.

"Don't push it," she said, taking another sip. It was like manna from heaven; a godsend.

"Oh, yeah, I talked to Perry. He said he's sorry about my house burning down, but we still have to go to Kansas," said Clark cautiously. Lois wasn't going to like that.

"What? Your house burns down, we're practically homeless, bumming off my sister, and he _still_ wants us to go?" she hissed furiously. She would probably be yelling if it wasn't for her pained head.

"Well, personally, I think it's great. God knows you need some time off, and I need to visit my mom before she gets worried, and I think Kansas is a great place to unwind," he said. Suddenly, he heard a cry for help and leapt to his feet.

"Lois, I have to go, I'll explain later," he blurted, throwing money on the table to pay for the drinks. In a flash, he was out the door and ripping off his suit.

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Jenna walked towards the street from her yard, shivering sourly. It was the middle of winter, why did that stupid dog have to run off now? Oh, the kid's mom was going to kill her for losing Muffy. Jason was sniffling inside, and Muffy was somewhere running down the street.

"Muffy?" she called tentatively. The dog didn't come running, so she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Muffy!" she called louder, glaring around. Suddenly, a cold, hard thing poked her back.

"Shut up and walk, girl," said an unfamiliar voice from behind her. Her breath catching in her throat, she walked, trying not to cry. There was something different about this gun, though. It didn't feel complex and lumpy like a normal gun. It was smooth and hollow…and it definitely wasn't a gun. She decided to take her chances with this.

"Help! Help me!" she screamed, starting to run. Hearing her captor curse and start chasing after her, she ran faster. Unfortunately, her stylish Keds weren't made for running. She tripped, stumbling and skidding across the unforgiving street. Her pupils dilated as the beam of headlights flooded her vision. She shut her eyes.

Of course, she wasn't really expecting the car to hit her. Her life had been endangered twice while babysitting this kid and nothing had happened. Well, at least, the second time wasn't dangerous; it was just a dream, right? But then, why was her bat upstairs, bent into a question mark shape?

Sure enough, she was lifted into the air. She wasn't even surprised, nor did she question who the hero was. Opening her eyes, she met a pair of blue ones.

"Hey Superman," she said almost boredly. This was _really_ getting old.

"I am never babysitting this kid ever again," she said unhappily as she was placed on her feet.

Clark kind of whaled on the kidnapper, a little upset over having his date ruined. Having properly punished the villain, he flew him over to the police station, dropping him out front. The officers rushed out, just as Superman flew away. Cuffing the man, they silently thanked the hero for putting so many crooks in jail.

Clark rushed back to Lois, straightening his tie. Unbeknownst to him, she was quickly writing in her journal; at least, as quickly as a slightly intoxicated woman can write.

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Okay, I'll update soon. I hope you liked the chapter, it's nothing to some of my other chapters, but it has its moments. I like to draw out my stories so they take longer to read, because I like to read other stories like that. If you know about any stories besides the ones on my favorites list that I might like, feel free to tell me.


	16. Sunsets in Smallville

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

I like this chapter, it's a nice mix of romantic and funny. Currently, Lois is confused and wondering if she's right about Clark being Superman. Clark has a kind of love/hate relationship with Bruce, it's confusing, but they're actually great friends. I think, though, that they'd be a little possesive about their skills and territories, so it's a good friendship with them.

"Are you finished packing those bags, Lois?" called Clark, his suitcase neatly filled and ready to go. Lois scowled and packed faster. She should probably add his super packing speed to her notepad, but now wasn't the time.

"Give me a goddamn second, will you?" she yelled, feeling a little resentful. It just wasn't fair! He shouldn't use his powers to help him pack. That was cheating.

"Do you need help, Lois?" he asked, edging through the partially open door. She glared at him over her shoulder.

"Kent, I'm not a little girl anymore, I think I can handle a bit of bag packing," she scoffed, packing faster to prove her point. He shrugged and left the room, and she zipped up her bag.

"I can't believe you get to have all the fun," pouted Lucy, holding Jason's hand. Lois laughed.

"Oh yeah, a week in Nowheresville with farm boy Kent…it's gonna be a blast," she said dryly, kissing the top of Jason's head, her tone immediately changing to the caring mother.

"Oh, baby, I'm going to miss you so much," she cooed, giving him a hug. Clark stepped over to hug Jason, too, and then they left.

"Okay, we're on flight twenty two," said Lois, checking the schedule, "Now, if only we could find it…"

Clark scanned the airport briefly, checking signs. Trying to make it more understated, he picked up a map of the airport.

"Uh, I think we keep going straight and then make a right," he said, pointing it out on the map. Lois frowned, and then made a mental note to add this to the list.

The plane trip was fairly boring. Lois insisted on the window seat, of course. Clark listened in on any important emergencies, but either found none or the police covered them. He hated flying in airplanes, they hampered his ability to be anywhere at anytime to get to an emergency. Suddenly, he heard a faint noise, just loud enough for him to be alarmed. Something was wrong.

"Lois…I have to go to the bathroom," he stuttered, glancing at his female friend. She was fast asleep, curled into a ball against the window. He got up and went to the bathroom, locking the door.

Quickly, Clark scanned the airplane. Sure enough, the engines were slowing. The plane was losing power, and would start to fall any second. He heard the alarm go off in the control room, and heard the oxygen masks drop. He also heard the flight attendants telling the passengers not to panic, and to buckle themselves in.

Clark cursed at the plane. He started thinking fast when he felt the plane begin to lower in altitude. Suddenly, a completely obvious and ingenious idea struck him, and he levitated a few inches to put his hands on the ceiling of the bathroom.

Flying upward, he felt the metal strain, but it didn't crumble. He heard the shock and surprise of the pilots, and heard his name mentioned several times. He kept the pressure on the back of the plane to keep it aloft, and scanned the ground under them to find the airport. Once found, he released the plane and let it drop, with the pilots steering them to safety. The passengers applauded their unseen hero, and Clark stumbled out of the stall.

He flopped down next to Lois, who stirred and blinked, sitting up to stretch. She yawned and looked around.

"Mmm…how was the flight, Smallville?"

"Oh, you know…boring as usual…"

Smallville looked exactly like when he left. The airport was small, and the people were few and far between. He looked around excitedly, seeing familiar faces everywhere he went. Smallville was named for a reason. He even saw Lana Lang, and talked to her while Lois meandered around the gift shop.

Of course, Martha had moved to live with her new husband, Ben, but Clark had refused to let her sell the farm. Instead, she gave it to him, though he had no idea what to do with it. He decided to rent it to the Lawtons, a young couple with two small children. Currently, though, they were visiting relatives in Canada, so the house was empty.

Lois stepped out of the taxi, breathing in the fresh country air. It was a little dusty, but better than in Metropolis. Clark seemed happy to be here, and enthusiastic to show her everything. He led her into the small but cozy house.

"It's not much, but it's where I grew up," he admitted, showing her to her room. She smiled at him affectionately.

"It's lovely, Smallville," she said, setting her suitcase on the bed. She stayed in the guest room, while Clark was staying in his parents' room.

Suddenly, a call for help echoed into Clark's mind. He groaned. No, not now! Why did people seem to need him when he was most busy? He tried to think up an excuse.

"Ah, Lois, I'm going to go down to the grocery store and pick some supplies up for dinner. Feel free to take a look around," he said, exiting the room. Lois nodded and smiled, having a plan of her own.

Lois wandered around the house, her detective side flashing up. She checked under couches, in drawers, behind bookshelves, for anything suspicious or Superman-related. Of course, nothing came up.

She softly opened the door to Clark's old room. It was bare, the picture of a young teen's room right after he leaves for college. She felt a twinge of envy. When she left for college, her parents had remodeled her room into an entertainment center, with a TV and stereo and paintings…but Clark's parents hadn't changed a thing. Did they really miss him that much?

She didn't have much time. The store was ten minutes away, and Clark would make sure to come back at the appropriate time…if he really was Superman. Lois shook her head briefly. Was this curiosity or obsession? It was hard to tell anymore. She heard Clark walking up the wooden steps, and fled, leaping onto the bed as she heard the door open.

Clark froze, one hand on the doorknob, hearing noise. He scanned the house, finding Lois sitting casually on the bed. Something was wrong, though; her heart rate was far above average, and she was breathing heavily, as if she had been running. Clark's eyes narrowed; was she catching on? Well, good, then; it was about time. Now, how quickly would she find out?

He walked up the stairs, making as much noise as possible, even bumping into the wall for effect. He smiled his goofy grin when he saw Lois, though it wasn't forced; he was always happy to see Lois.

"Do you want to check out the stables?" he asked, and she smiled her charming, toothy grin.

"Why, sure, Clark," she said, sighing. Maybe she was just being paranoid. After all, she had no real proof that he was Superman.

The barn smelled softly of fur and manure. She used to ride horses, but that was a long time ago. Clark led her to the stalls, and she hesitated.

"This is my old horse, Duke," he said, setting his hand on the gate. She peeked around him and eyed the large brown horse carefully. He looked reasonably harmless, so she stepped forward. She bravely reached out a hand to stroke his neck, enjoying the firm feeling of living flesh under her fingertips.

Rather nervously, Clark brushed his hand against hers, hoping against all odds that she wouldn't be disturbed or, worse, disgusted. Quite the contrary, she smiled at him and took his hand in hers, leaning against his shoulder. Suddenly, he noticed the growing darkness.

"Oh, Lois, come outside," he said excitedly, taking her hand and practically dragging her behind him. She gasped, trying to keep up. For a clumsy, bumbling businessman, he could move damn fast! Unless he was Superman…

Lois winced and scolded herself. He wasn't, couldn't be, Superman. Suddenly, and without warning, Clark stopped, and she bumped into him.

"Ouch, geez, Kent, couldn't you have warned me or something? I should sue you for manhandling me, Smallville," she snapped, but she lost all of her ability to speak when she looked up. There, unhindered by the city lights or the tall buildings, the magnificent sun was setting, casting a fabulous display of purples, pinks, and gold across the sky. Her breath was swept away at the sight, and she fully understood Clark's love for the country right then. It was definitely worth the trip.

So, what do you think? I like this chapter, and feel free to leave comments...the feedback from the last chapter was great! I was really surprised...but I hate reading too many fanfics that rotate around the plot and don't leave room for Lois and Clark, so I leave plenty of room for them in my story! Please review!


	17. Lois and Lana

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Author's note: Okay, there's a few things to get straight in this chapter. First, though it doesn't seem like it, it is very important to the plot, but mainly just the beginning. Second, Lana is not married, and she doesn't know Clark is Superman. I wasn't sure if she was supposed to, because a few stories have her know, and a few don't, so in mine, she doesn't. Oh, and if you think Lois and Lana are acting immature, blame hormones. I think this chapter is cute.

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Lois stirred when she heard a faint creak in the doorway. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she blinked vigorously, trying to see through the darkness. A tall figure was silhouetted against the moonlight, and, frightened, Lois reached over to switch on the lamp.

The light was dim, but enough; she saw Clark, standing in the room, with an odd expression on his face. Her eyes took in the scene before her, and she noticed that he wore only his pajama pants; he was otherwise shirtless. Yawning, Lois rubbed her eyes.

"Clark? What are you doing here? It's almost three," she grumbled, checking the clock. He didn't answer, but walked swiftly and determinedly to the bed, climbing on and crawling up next to her. She gasped a little, not sure what to say or how to feel about this.

"Clark?" she asked, and that was just about the only word she managed. He crushed her lips against his, wrapping his strong arms around her and holding her close. She made a muffled yell against his mouth, confused and scared.

"Clark, what are you doing?" she insisted, but he didn't say a word. His fingers didn't fumble as he pulled her pajama shirt over her head, nor did she stop him. His hands were soft and gentle as they ran up and down her sides, skin silky against skin. He nipped her neck at that one secret spot that only he seemed to know about, and she had an intense feeling of déjà vu. Her brow furrowed in concentration, she struggled to remember why this was so familiar.

The pajama pants came off more easily that the shirt, and also with the same lack of hesitation. He seemed so sure, so confident…like a side she had never seen before. His fingers tickled her thighs, and she squeaked and jumped, giggling. He leaned over her heavily, and she could barely breathe.

Lois began to respond to his passionate touch, her hands exploring his wide shoulders, his strong back; she could feel his steadiness under her light touch, though she had fully expected it to make him quiver. Loving the feel of his lips against her neck, she ran her hands down his back…and stopped dead. There, under her fingers, was a small scar, about two inches long…exactly where…

Her hazel eyes soared up to meet his own blue. She saw the source of his steadiness…saw the pain from when she pulled out the kryptonite that caused the scar…saw the love that Clark, her friend, felt for her, and saw the love that Superman, her son's father, felt for her. A thousand moments that she could all but remember flashed through her mind, and she stared into the face of her lover, wishing against hope that he would make her remember. She didn't see Superman, though; Clark was before her, thick glasses in place.

"I'm always around, Lois," he rumbled in that deep, powerful voice that wasn't his.

Confusion and heartbreak overtook her, and Lois sat up, Clark and Superman disappearing as she woke up into the bright sunshine of her room.

Lois sat in bed, still as confused as ever. What was that? Was that a fantasy? More importantly, was that a fantasy that included _Clark_? Did she have a crush on her business partner? Who had a well-known crush on her?

The more answers that came, the more questions popped up. Lois rubbed her temples, wishing she knew what was going on. Why was that dream so familiar? Why was Clark in it? Speaking of that dream-raiding bastard, where was he?

Lois sniffed, becoming more and more disappointed. Usually, since she lived with Clark, she woke up to the smell of something delicious. Of course, she had insisted more than once that he stop cooking for her, but he said it was a habit to get up early for him, so Lois gave in without much fight. Hey, why stop him if he enjoyed it?

She listened, and heard voices. Who was outside? Listening more closely, she recognized Clark's slight stutter, and…a woman? That feeling…that feeling that was becoming uncomfortably familiar…envy.

Lois almost stomped down the stairs until she realized that she was still in pajamas…that weren't nearly as sexy as they had seemed last night…but then again, it _was_ just a dream.

Lois changed into casual but sleek white jeans that brought out her curves nicely, and a blue sweater that wasn't too baggy. It was still chilly, being early spring, so there weren't many options. Applying makeup as fast as she could, she rushed out the door. This was about to get ugly.

Lois felt that burn in her heart when she saw the woman. She was beautiful, with long dark hair and lovely eyes. Lois felt ashamed of her slightly fluffy morning hair and plain eyes. What she didn't notice, though, was Clark gazing at her with avid wonder. Lana, however, noticed, and turned to face Lois with a fierce determination barely hidden by her plastered smile.

"Clark…I didn't realize you had a friend over," she said, her charming voice grating on Lois' nerves. Lois laughed dryly, and Clark noticed the fire immediately.

"Ah…Lois…this is Lana," he said, quite unsure of what to do next. Lana stuck out an unfriendly hand, which Lois shook bitterly. Clark could have laughed if he wasn't so frightened; it looked like they were trying to break each other's hand.

"Um…Lana is an old high school friend," stuttered Clark, in hopes of cooling them down. It didn't work exactly as he planned, though.

"Why, Clark, we were more than just 'old friends' in high school, don't you remember?" asked Lana in her chilliest voice. Lois, though, was raised by vicious parents in a jungle home that losing wasn't an option; she didn't even blink.

"Obviously it ended, though, right?" she snapped, directing the comment more to Clark than to Lana. Clark cleared his throat uncomfortably and pulled his collar; he knew how to handle everything from train wrecks to twisted villains trying to kill millions for their own benefit, but didn't have a clue on how to handle two angry women.

"Ah…no…not quite…" he managed to mumble, "but what say we go inside and have some drinks and discuss something else, like _civilized adults_." He put an emphasis on the last part, but it seemed to have no effect.

"Don't you have somewhere to be? I'm sure you have a _job_, don't you?" snarled Lois. Lana glared at her, and Clark held his head in his hands. Great.

"Well, since I'm currently on my vacation," said Lana, shooting death glares at Lois and coy glances at Clark. It was an odd and unsettling combination.

"Well, we're not, and we actually have a report to work on. _Together_," added Lois pointedly, already pulling Clark inside; not that he was exactly resisting.

"But…"

The door slammed. Lois whipped around to face Clark, her eyes burning with anger. He actually took a few steps back.

"What was that? You can't just drag old girlfriends over when we're at your house…"

"But Lois,"

"…and _more than just old friends_? What was that supposed to mean?"

"Lois, I…"

"…like, did you sleep with her? Do you have an STD?"

"Lois, no, I just…"

"…and she obviously had a problem with me! How could you just bring over all these people who hate me?"

"LOIS!"

Lois stopped and stared at her partner. He looked frustrated and confused, and had just been the loudest she had ever seen him…in her entire memory of having met him.

"What is wrong with you today? Why did you just attack Lana? She just stopped by to say hello. What, did you think she was trying to steal me away from Loisland? And by the way…were you jealous?" he asked delicately, not wanting her to attack him. She looked away for a moment.

"Well…that was a little out of hand. I shouldn't have suspected her of trying to steal you. And…I wasn't jealous!" she added, looking defiant. Clark sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She looked down and away again, that guilty feeling gnawing at her. If Clark was indeed Superman…which he wasn't, of course…then that meant that he had never lied to her. She scuffed the toe of her shoe on the floor.

"Well…maybe a little," she admitted, blushing slightly. She turned away, trying to hide it. She had never blushed for any man but Superman, and she shouldn't now. Clark saw it, though, and smiled to himself. Only one man could ever make Lois Lane blush…did she know?

Lois sat at the kitchen table, waiting for the coffee to finish. Clark had claimed that he needed to send a letter to his mother, so she was left alone in the house. Of course, this was all going in her 'why Clark Kent was Superman' journal. It was getting rather full…was it possible? Sighing, she watched the brown liquid drip ever so slowly into the pot.

The sound of the doorbell jarred her from her dreamlike state, and she jumped a little. Shaking her head and getting up, she walked over to the door, wondering who would be here in the late afternoon. It was a small town…hadn't everyone Clark had ever met in his childhood already been here? She opened the door, and quickly fought down the temptation to slam it shut again.

Lana stood there, examining her nails. When she looked up, her pretty face twisted into a sharp grimace. Lois couldn't help but feel the same expression lingering on her face, and yet, neither woman said a single word. They just stood, taking in each other's appearance.

Lois noticed, for the first time, how sincere and kind Lana looked, naturally. She saw her exquisite green eyes, feeling a bit envious, but not jealous. Lana noticed that Lois' hair was exceptionally thick and curly, and silently, begrudgingly, applauded her for taming that beautiful hair. She also noticed the large and lovely eyes, making her face look small and delicate, a task that she herself had never achieved.

After making their judgment on each other's appearance, the two women made eye contact. For a few seconds, it didn't break. Suddenly, alarmingly, Lois felt a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips, and saw the same effect on Lana.

Five minutes later, the two women were sitting in the living room, laughing together like long lost friends.

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Once again, don't complain about Lois being immature. She's just confused and in love, even though she doesn't know with who. I actually thought, reading some other stories, that Lois and Lana could make good friends from their descriptions. Don't you? Please review!


	18. Lost Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

I actually really, really like this chapter, it's one of my favorites, but you probably won't. I'll explain at the end. Oh yeah, and if you think it's bad or too OC, get over it and read another story. I don't need another OC review. The number of people who actually like it way outnumber the people who don't. If you're one of the many that like this story, leave a nice review! As for those who don't...why are you reading my story?

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Lois stuck a pen behind her ear, listening boredly to the witnesses. Of course, her boredom didn't affect her reporter skills; she scribbled enough notes to wallpaper the Daily Planet…all twenty nine floors. Clark seemed quite interested, though, and Lois cast him the occasional evil eye. If only she had that attention span. He looked as if this was the single most important story of his life, pushing up his glasses and talking eagerly to the witnesses.

So far, the gang didn't seem like that big of a deal; it seemed their law violations were minor at best. There was only a bit of vandalism and one attack, though it could hardly be counted as an attack. One gang member had thrown a brick at a window, missed, and struck a pedestrian. The only damage was a rather large bruise on the man's leg.

'_All this way to Smallville, and nothing,'_ thought Lois bitterly, cursing Perry to an eternity of endless travel and jet lag. The gang wasn't a serious issue; apparently, they were just a bunch of teenagers having illegal fun. Boy, could those stories grow. From what they had heard, the man struck with the brick was hospitalized and in a coma, and the graffiti threatened the law-abiding citizens. In reality, the man was on his feet after a few days of crutches, and the graffiti was simply teenage slang.

Lois decided that she had more important things to do than listen to endless stories about graffiti and bricks. It was time to end this torture. She smiled as genuinely as she could, trying to cover her disappointment in the bad lead.

"Listen, thanks for your time and all, we really appreciate the help, and now we have to go and compare notes," she said, quite a bit quicker than she would have liked. The witnesses looked kind of pissed, so Lois grabbed Clark's arm and power-walked him to the car, trying not to run. It was no easy task, though, dragging a reluctant Clark from the scene. Once out of earshot, he started grumbling.

"…didn't even get to talk to the other witness…dragging me…good storyline…Perry's gonna fire us…"

Lois nearly laughed. Clark really pushed her buttons, but it was impossible to be mad at him.

"Oh, shut up and walk," she said, opening the car door. They climbed in, and she sighed.

"That was an awful lead! It wasn't even close to the stories we heard!" she exclaimed, sticking the keys in. Then, she turned to Clark and smiled suggestively.

"Well, partner, we have a couple hours to kill…what do you want to do?"

He looked about as alert as a dead cat. Apparently, the notes he had taken were much more interesting than an offer of a night with Lois Lane. She scowled; stupid notes.

Clark felt his heart nearly explode. Lois Lane was…hitting on him? Or was she just being funny? It was so hard to tell with her sometimes. He wasn't sure what to do. So, he compromised with shuffling through the notes. Better stall for time…

"Ahh…we could go to the carnival, it's not too far," he offered. If she wanted him to be romantic, the carnival was an excellent choice. If she didn't mean that like he thought she did, then it was suitably casual. Lois looked slightly disappointed. Did he say something wrong? But then her face hardened into that mask of indifference.

"Well, sure, that sounds like fun," she said, hardly able to keep the frustration out of her tone. Why was he so hard to read? _Of course_ he picked something so neutral. He couldn't pick something easy to read, like the movies or a fancy restaurant.

The drive was quiet. Lois was contemplating her feelings, something she didn't do often, and Clark was trying to figure Lois's feelings out. It was actually nearly half an hour, but it seemed like seconds until they reached the carnival.

Lois thought hard about Clark, Superman, and Richard. Did she really abandon Richard for another plain, dime-a-dozen guy? Shouldn't she be with Superman, so at least Richard didn't feel he lost to some plain, goofy farm boy? Well…unless Clark was Superman. But that was impossible, right? Clark was just so…so genuine, so unique. After thinking about it, Clark far outclassed any man. He was handsome and shy, not even realizing the potential of his good looks, and had feelings for her, anyway. He was hardworking, pleasant, and all-around charming. Richard was very much the same, but he lacked the absolute devotion and humor of Clark. Was Clark worth giving up Superman for? Unless…no, don't say it, Lois. Not again. Well, if it didn't work out, they could always break up; it wasn't like she would be engaged to him anytime soon, so it wouldn't be heartbreaking.

Clark thought hard about Lois. As Superman, he could never be there for her, and she would wake up alone every morning. As Clark, he would be there for her, somehow, but he would. But…he would have to tell her the truth; which brought him back to square one. What would happen when he told her, though? Would she prefer the majestic Superman over homely little Clark Kent? Would she request that he wear his suit more often, because it swept her off her feet? Would shy, clumsy Clark Kent be enough for fiery, determined Lois Lane?

They thought and thought and thought, both of them in an equally complex situation. They actually sat in the car for an extra minute, not quite realizing that they had reached their destination. Upon noticing the loud and large festival, Clark exited the car, and opened the door for Lois. She stuck out a delicate foot, and stepped out. By the time her door was shut, both of them had come to a decision.

Lois firmly decided that she liked Clark, and wouldn't stop until she had him, and Clark firmly decided that he couldn't be romantically involved with a co-worker, not as Clark Kent.

It was a lovely sight. Lois could see the Ferris wheel, and could hear the music playing. It was growing dark, but neither really cared. Determinedly, albeit shyly, Lois slipped her hand into Clark's as they strolled up to the entrance. She noticed him shift a little, uncomfortable, so she pulled back, disappointed yet again. He didn't mention it, though.

"Um, two tickets, please," he asked the man at the ticket booth politely. He handed one to Lois, and they walked in.

The sunset lit the sky with red and violet hues, and took Lois's breath away, as it had done every night she had been here. She could smell the cotton candy and the sweet, sticky funnel cakes, and the dusty ground was soft and inviting. The music from the Ferris wheel seemed to envelope the essence of romance, and she decided that she wanted to go on it.

"Clark, let's go on the Ferris wheel!" she cried, grabbing his hand and nearly jerking him off his feet. She didn't even let him stick an opinion in. They raced up to the line, waiting to board. The woman that checked the tickets looked a little over fifty, and smiled as she saw the young, pretty brunette woman with the shy but attractive young man.

"Ah, to be young and in love," she crooned, smiling. Lois smiled back at her as she handed the tickets back, but Clark pushed his glasses up with his forefinger.

"Oh, no, ma'am, we're not…" he didn't manage to get the last part in before Lois yanked his arm again, eager to board. She hadn't been on a Ferris wheel since she was fifteen with Bobby Jones and had her first kiss on it. She was fervent on feeling that emotion again, the love and delight of the ride.

Clark sighed as the door shut. Lois watched him keenly as he sat down first, and then promptly sat next to him. It was growing dark, and the moon was beautiful and round, surrounded by shimmering stars.

The Ferris wheel wasn't young, and it creaked a little as it went up. Lois sighed, and leaned slightly on Clark. He fought a quick internal battle, deciding to humor her, without leading her on or hurting her feelings. Now wasn't the time to tell her he didn't want a relationship with her. Well, he did, but he knew he couldn't have a normal one with her. Lois sensed his negativity, though, and in only spurred her on to try harder. He must be playing hard to get, she was certain that he had a major crush on her…another reason he was…nope! Don't say it!

Of course, of _course_ it stopped at the top. Clark could see the beautiful hills, illuminated by the light of the moon. I was so perfect it was almost unreal. Here he was, silhouetted by the moon, high in the sky (though not quite the way he pictured it) with the woman he loved desperately. The weather was lovely, a little warm with cool breezes. Spring was just perfect that way. But…he wasn't meant to have this perfection. Happiness was being with Lois, but it was also the gratitude he saw on people's faces when he snatched them from the jaws of death. He couldn't possibly have both. It wasn't fair for him, but it also wasn't fair for others.

He listened closely for any trouble, but it seemed moderately quiet. Mostly, the police were handling the problems, and they shouldn't learn to fully rely on him for assistance. There were other things he had to do. All there was to do now, though, was spend a quiet night with the woman he loved most, which he still couldn't do.

Lois felt that old determination again, the one that had gotten her a job. She knew Clark liked her, and believed that he must be playing hard to get; maybe it was time to up her game a notch. Subtly, almost shyly, she scooted closer to him, glancing up to catch his eye. All she caught, though, was his expression; it was an odd mix of pain and frustration…and it tore her apart. Feeling like she was walking on thin ice, she leaned up ever so slightly to kiss him on the cheek. It was chaste, yet romantic; surely the perfect move. Clark seemed to think otherwise.

"Listen, Lois," he began, and Lois felt a hurt that she hadn't felt for many, many years. The hurt wouldn't go away, so it was instantly vented into anger. She felt a passionate rage build.

"What is wrong with you, Clark? One day you're following me around like a lovesick puppy, and the next you ignore me like I'm trash! Are you just doing this to mess with me? I bet you're enjoying this! I bet you think I'm such a loser to think that I could ever be good enough for you, to think that maybe I could risk love again. I bet you think I'm a whore, since I've got you and Superman and…and Richard…" she didn't realize she was crying until her tears blinded her. She also didn't realize that the ride was over until she heard the worker clear her throat. Clark looked in shock.

"Lois…no…I never…"

"Well, it's too late for excuses, I'll see you around," she snapped dramatically, secretly and guiltily pleased that the worker was giving Clark the evil eye. She jumped off the steps, walking as quickly as she could. Unfortunately, Clark caught up with her.

"Lois…no, I don't think you're a loser or a whore or that you're not good enough for me…I love you so much…I just…" he tried to explain, and Lois felt a little less angry. maybe there was something possible. She sniffed and looked into his eyes.

"Kiss me," she said softly, more a demand then a request. He gaped at her for a second, and then cleared his throat.

"Lois, I…"

"Shut up and kiss me," she said fiercely, her anger growing again. He stopped talking for a second, and then leaned forward a little, as she stood on her toes. He hesitated for a few seconds, as if this was a life or death situation. Then, gently, lightly, he kissed her on the lips. It was quick and chaste, and nothing like she expected. She glared up at him.

"Now kiss me like you mean it," she growled, grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him forward, her face inches from his. He leaned forward, she could smell his breath, a little mix of mint and cotton candy, and she closed her eyes, waiting, expecting. After another moment of the dreaded anticipation, Clark pulled back. Lois opened her eyes, a look of resignation in them.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Lois," he murmured. He didn't need to look up to know she had walked away. He didn't need to look up to know she was crying.

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I told you that you wouldn't like this chapter...but don't worry, I'm a quick updater. Leave reviews! I love feedback! And I think I deserve some for the work I put into my stories. Thanks for reading!


	19. Miseries

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman

Okay, don't flame me for the chapter, I swear I'll update soon...and Lex Luthor may not be in this one, I know he wasn't in the past few, but his plots will come up soon...and note that I said 'plots' and not 'plot.' Most of you may not like this chapter, though, but I like it.

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The rest of the weekend was pure, unbearable torture. Lois wasn't speaking to him yet; he wasn't even quite sure why. It only upset and frustrated him, which he tried to channel into fighting crime. It didn't quite blot out the pain and confusion, it only numbed it a little, but he was willing to take whatever he could get. Women were a pain in the ass.

"Lois, please," he started, trying to reason with her. She didn't answer, only continued typing her report on the gang fights. Clark bit back a growl. They weren't even remotely interesting; he just pretended to pay attention for his job's sake, and his cover as the over-eager reporter. Lois was _definitely_ pretending the report was remotely fascinating. He sighed, trying to release some pent-up irritation.

"Lois, you're acting like a child!" he exploded, his efforts at containing his anger failing miserably. It wasn't real anger, like the kind he felt for criminals, though. It was just a shallow aggravation. He still loved her more than life itself, but boy, could she be a pain! She whipped around to face him, hurt and rage flaring in her eyes. Clark actually took a step back.

"I'm acting like a child? Well, I suppose you're right, it was childish to think that maybe life wouldn't kick me in the face when I tried to get a sturdy love life. God knows I don't deserve one. Lois Lane, have a normal relationship with a guy? It sounds stupid just thinking about it. I think maybe we should just move on, Clark. You obviously aren't interested, and I obviously need to get some therapy, and then let's just call it a day," she snapped, all the fury whooshing out of her like a popped balloon, only to be replaced by a dull throbbing in her heart area. Clark had a pained look in his eyes, but she didn't care. He didn't stop her when she marched back to her room, but she didn't care. He stood there for another ten minutes, but she didn't care. She heard him sniff…and God, how she cared.

Clark stood in place for a while, unable to move. If life was hard for him, it was harder for Lois. She didn't know she had four men who loved her more than anything in the world; Superman, Clark Kent, Richard White, and Jason Lane.

Well…maybe Superman and Clark Kent couldn't be counted separately…but then again, they lived separate lives. Superman was the flashy hero, while Clark Kent worked a mediocre job with a mediocre pay. Were they really two different people? Who was the middle man?

_'Kal-El,' _he thought bitterly to himself. Why couldn't he just be him? It would be great to just live the life of Kal-El, not having separate personalities, not disguising his voice, not having to mask his face. But…that would eliminate Lois from his life. It would be dangerous to be with her, so he would have to avoid getting close to people. Well, wouldn't that also eliminate Clark Kent? So, would he be only Superman?

Clark shook his head. He either had to get rid of Superman or Clark, and he had already seen the results of trying to get rid of Superman…which left Clark. But, Clark was who he was! Clark had a past, had a future, but Superman only had the present; a life of fighting for what was right. But what was the point? When he eventually died, the world would return to what it was.

Well, it was definitely the most depressing conversation he had ever had with himself, but that was probably because it was the _only_ conversation he had ever had with himself. He felt a tear drop, but didn't feel the pain. It was like watching someone else cry; he didn't feel anything. With a sniff, he turned to go anywhere but here.

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The plane ride was possibly worst than the house. At least when they shared a house, they could avoid each other easily, but on a plane, they had to sit together. It was awkward and terribly uncomfortable, and Clark tugged at his collar. Lois looked determinedly everywhere but at him. He cleared his throat. Suddenly, he heard screaming.

"I…I have to go," he muttered to no one in particular. Leaping to his feet, he paused for a second to find an inconspicuous way out of the plane. Well…it was possible, but it would take some quick work.

Running to the back, making sure nobody was around, he pulled off his suit, revealing the flashy emblem. Not quite sure how to handle the idea, he stopped for a moment. He started again when the screaming persisted. This couldn't wait.

Kneeling, he tore a panel from the floor. Diving below the plane, he pushed the panel back into place and welded it with heat vision. Satisfied that there wasn't a leak, he zoomed off to Brazil.

The landslide was enormous, covering much of the village. Luckily, most had escaped, but some were buried alive. Scanning the ground, Clark determined that most were still alive, trapped in the collapsed buildings. Firefighters and volunteers struggled to dig them out, but all in vain. They were under a dozen feet of muck.

Stepping forward, Clark used his heat vision to burn a hole through the mud, solidifying the walls of the passage at the same time. Then, after having made a tunnel, he dove into it at top speed. The victims didn't have long.

It wasn't hard after that. He used his super hearing and heard a small child sobbing hysterically to his left, and plunged his hands effortlessly into the mess like it was water. Digging easily, he uncovered a small girl about six or seven years old. Once freed, she clung to her savior like she was still in mortal danger. Gently, Clark flew up and handed the girl to a man above him before flying back down. Only nineteen more to go.

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Lois sat, pretending to read her newspaper in case Clark happened to return. She didn't want him thinking she was waiting for him, or even caring about his existence. Checking her watch, she saw that he had been gone for about seven minutes. What was taking him so long? Was he sick? Worry flooded her mind, only to be covered by a thin mask of indifference. So what if he was sick? He deserved it.

Another part of her mind, probably not the part that got her the job at the Daily Planet, whispered softly in her ear, wavering and shy, but audible.

_'Clark's not like that. He doesn't deserve to be treated like this. He's a good guy.'_ It wasn't loud, but it made her feel guilty all the same. What had he done besides unintentionally hurting her pride and feelings? Well, wasn't that enough? All the good deeds he had done in his life didn't make up for future wrongs. Or…was he simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? It wasn't like he asked to be loved by Lois Lane. Well, he did stare at her constantly, not that it wasn't flattering, and he was rather flirty sometimes in his shy kind of way…but maybe he didn't mean it. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her again.

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Clark walked back in, careful to use the same way as when he left. He hoped Lois didn't ask questions, but then again, she was a reporter. She couldn't help it.

"Sick?" she asked off-handedly, and Clark smiled weakly.

"A little," he murmured, trying to sound embarrassed. It came out as sort of irritable, and he quickly changed his demeanor.

"But thanks for asking," he tried to make up. She didn't answer, and he assumed they still weren't talking. He became frustrated again, and settled down to finish the book he had been reading. His mind, though, was plagued with the memories of pulling dead people from the mudslide, their families' screams of grief and horror killing him. If anything was worse than kryptonite, it was others' misery. That was why he took up the job of rescuing people, but his job came with a price. Every night, he suffered with the images of the people he couldn't save, the people he didn't get to in time.

He laughed dryly, quieting when he felt Lois's questioning stare. Avoiding her gaze, he pretended to be buried in his book, even moving his eyes to look like he was reading. She finally pulled her gaze back to her newspaper, and he relaxed.

Lois shivered. That had to be the most bitter, miserable laugh she had ever heard. She wasn't even sure that it came from Clark; Clark, the happy-go-lucky man who she had worked with for so long. He had everything. He had a great family, a good job, he was good-looking, and he was just so contentedly oblivious to the suffering of the world. He looked like he slept well every night of his life, while she sat up crying for the loved ones she lost. For five years she cried for Superman, and for the last few months, she cried for Richard and more recently, she cried for Clark. It was amazing that she wasn't dead from her lack of sleep.

Maybe Clark didn't have quite the life she had fully expected him to have. Maybe unknown sorrows plagued his life; oh yeah, that was her.

The plane landed, and Lois wondered how she would ever face him again. They worked together, he even _lived_ with her! It wasn't possible to avoid him every day. Something had to be done. Unfortunately, Clark had realized this days ago. Wearily, he turned to face Lois, his voice nearly lost under the noise of the airport. She could hear the happy people in their happy lives bustling around, talking and laughing and smiling. It made her want to cry.

"Lois, I think we both understand that it can't go on like this," he started, and she nodded gingerly. She wasn't ready to make up so fast. It would take time to heal.

"So I called and got an apartment yesterday. I'm also considering that transfer Perry offered."

Lois's jaw dropped, though she quickly recovered. Not wanting to beg and not wanting him to leave, she fought a quick internal battle. She decided on both.

"You don't have to…you can stay a few more days," she offered, her voice breaking in the middle of her sentence. She stiffened, ashamed, and tried to sound more casual.

"And you don't have to leave your job because of me," she said, and it came out better this time. He glanced at her wearily, unable to stem the flow of hope, and yet knowing he couldn't stay.

"Well, I guess all that soul-searching got me right where I was in the beginning," he said unhappily, "Maybe I can stay at the office, but I can't continue living off of Lucy. It isn't right."

He wished more than anything he could leave the planet and just fly in circles forever, but he would never forgive himself. So many people would die because he was being selfish. It wasn't right.

"I have to go," he muttered, putting his hat on and picking up his suitcase. Maybe he should just disconnect from people entirely, but that would make him feel more alone than ever.

Once outside, he turned around a corner and changed into his Superman costume. Maybe a nice long day of fighting disasters would help him realize that he didn't have it so bad.

He flew up into the sky, hearing the cries of shock and awe that usually accompanied his sightings. Of course, there were always the occasional screaming fans that got in the way. He rocketed off at top speed, the blast from his takeoff blowing dust and stray papers into the air.

Instead of listening and helping people like he had promised himself he would, he settled into a silent orbit around Earth. Flying as fast as he could without harming the natural balance of the planet, he tried to leave his emotion behind. It was so hard; but here, up in the sky, unseen by the human eye, he allowed a few tears to gather in his eyes. It just wouldn't do for the innocent victims of Earth to see their heroic icon cry. _That_ would cause panic. And what would he tell them? _'I'm sorry, but my horrible, dysfunctional love life makes me sad.'_?

A few tears multiplied, and soon he was blinded by a barrage of them. Gasping quietly, he reached up and touched his wet cheek. Maybe this was why his father had advised him to avoid human contact. Love was so painful.

Soon, the whole misery of his situation grasped him, and he let himself cry out in sorrow. It felt so good to finally be able to release his emotions, unhampered by annoying observers. He screamed and cursed the planet, the solar system, the entire universe so loudly that surely the inhabitants of Earth could hear him. He even lifted a meteorite and threw it out into the deep recesses of space as hard as he could. When he finished throwing the tantrum he had never gotten the opportunity to throw, he floated on his back, laughing hysterically. It was much better to release his anger in space than to release it on Earth. Much more people would have been harmed. Here, it was undisruptive relief. It was an outlet, somewhere to spread his anguish to the skies. Finally content, he slept, still orbiting his beloved planet.

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Lois sat in her car, her face in her hands. It was all so wrong. She loved three men, and was unable to get even one. Richard wouldn't come back because he insisted that he would be in the way of her 'other' relationship; Superman was avoiding her; Clark was…well, she still wasn't sure why he was so negative towards her affection. Something was definitely wrong with this picture. Starting the car, she drove off to see Jason, the one man in her life who wasn't complicated.

Some unbearably sad country music started playing, and she quickly changed the station before she could start crying. The classical station popped up, and she changed it faster. The last thing she needed to remember right now was Lex Luthor, and the day she found out whose son Jason really was. Hip-hop started playing, and it didn't help her headache. Finally, she just turned off the radio, but it was too quiet. Right when she was about to tear her hair out, she realized that she was in Lucy's driveway.

She sprinted in to see Jason and Lucy, not even bothering to grab her bags from the car. She burst into the door.

"Jason? Lucy?" she called, but no one answered. Confused, she searched the house, only to find a note sitting on the kitchen table. Once having read it, she dropped into a chair and put her head in her arms. Why was no one here for her when she needed them?

_'Dear Lois,_

_Sorry, we're out at the moment, I just decided to take Jason out to eat tonight, he so wanted to go to the new Italian diner…but we'll be home soon, I promise._

_Love,_

_Lucy 'n Jason'_

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See? I told you that you wouldn't like it. Anyway, sorry it took so long to update, I had a bit of a writers block, and my sister had to do her college applications. Whoo! Let's hear it for my sister! And guess what? Once she goes to college, the computer will be completely free for me! Well, I'll have to kick off my little sister once in a while, but that's not hard; she's a wimp. Don't get mad about Lois and Clark's fight, I'll work on that later. And I promise to update soon!


	20. Bruce and the meadow of death

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Okay, this one's a little OC, even I'll admit, but I don't need flamers. Please don't chew me up over the OC thing, it's not that bad, and if it is, why are you reading this? I have way more supportive readers to back me up. To those supportive readers, thanks, and please continue to review, they really make me want to write more...well, type, but you get the idea. Anyway, enjoy! The plot thickens...

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Clark didn't know where to go. He couldn't live with Martha, she could barely afford to live on her own, and with her new husband (who didn't know Clark's secret), it would get suspicious. He couldn't stay with Richard, that would be way too wierd. It would also be strange to stay with Lana, but he didn't have many more people to turn to. He had lied when he told Lois he rented an apartment, but he really couldn't stay with her until he sorted out his problems. Not that he needed a place to stay, but it sure would make things easier.

While he flew, he didn't notice the odd tingling sensation, nor the nausea until it was too late. His flight became irregular and unstable, and he tipped towards the ground, yelling and struggling. Something was wrong, something that shouldn't be. There was only one substance that could make his abilities waver...and frankly, he was rather sick of it. Groaning, he made a mental note to remove every scrap of kryptonite from the planet, right before he fell.

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Hm...sir, do bluebirds fly in a diagonal pattern?" asked Alfred casually while sitting in his rather comfortable lawn chair. He and Bruce Wayne had just been discussing the benefits of building another lawn fountain when, out of the corner of his eye, he had noticed something flying in a sort of haphazard way. It was bright blue, and kind of small, most likely a bluebird. Bruce glanced briefly in the general direction to which his butler had indicated, then did a sudden double take, spitting out his morning coffee. He recovered quickly, though, grabbing his jacket off the chair and yanking out the keys to his car; the regular car, not the batmobile (though a Ferrari is hardly considered regular).

"I don't think that's a bluebird, Alfred," he growled, racing to his garages with Alfred on his heels. What on earth was Superman doing by Gotham?

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"Oh, Lucy, what's wrong with me?" wailed a very unhappy Lois Lane, clinging to her sister while sobbing her heart out. Lucy sighed. She was most likely the only person on earth who ever had, and ever would, see Lois Lane break down. Lucky her.

"Lois, it's really not that bad!" consoled Lucy, trying desperately to think of a single reason why it wasn't. Lois glared at her sister.

"And how is it exactly 'not bad'?" she growled, and Lucy gaped openly, thinking fast.

"Well...you have Jason!" she said cheerfully, and Lois sniffed. Sniffed...not bawled...that was an improvment, right? Lois glowered at her sister.

"You're not supposed to come up with an answer. You're supposed to let me sulk," she muttered, wiping her eyes with a tissue. Lucy sighed. At least she was still making jokes.

"Well, you better buck up so we can find out a solution," said Lucy, folding her arms. Lois groaned. As determined as she was, Lucy was just as stubborn. They had clashed all the way to college, their eternal fight ending with different schools. Lucy majored in medical, and Lois majored in journalism. While Lucy repaired men torn apart from wars, Lois tore men apart with her pointed pen. They were as different as day and night, and that wasn't about to change.

"We can give up and let me live alone with a thousand cats," grumbled Lois, but Lucy didn't hear her.

"Oh, I know, we can get you a new boyfriend, and when you drive Clark wild with jealousy, he'll beg to have you back, and you live happily ever after!" exclaimed Lucy excitedly, her sharp eyes sparkling. Lois, who looked into details a little more thoroughly, frowned.

"But what if he isn't jealous? Couldn't it just backfire, leaving me with another poor man that I don't need?" she asked, but her sister brushed her off with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, we can figure that out later. Right now, let's kick this plan into action and find you a boyfriend!"

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Bruce tapped his fingers impatiently against the window. Couldn't this car go any faster? Even though he'd been ticketed four times already, he didn't really care. Dues were easily paid when you were a billionare. He sighed and pulled over at the sound of the siren. In the rearview mirror, he could see the cop exiting his car and walking over. Bruce opened his window.

"Can I help you officer?" he asked boredly for the fifth time in the past half hour. The officer held up his hands.

"Sir, are you aware that you were going ninety in a thirty five mile zone?" asked the officer, barely believing his own words. Bruce checked his watch quick. Three minutes he could have been driving.

"Uh, yessir, and I kind of need to get somewhere, so if I could have that ticket..." he held out his hand expectantly. Stunned, the officer handed it to him, and watched as the billionare playboy drove off at the required speed.

Bruce watched his rearview mirror until the cop was gone, then accelerated to full speed again. Where on earth was Clark?

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Clark staggered to his feet, hardly able to breathe. Wheezing, he looked around and almost passed out again. He was in a large field, most likely in a park, but it was completely empty. No one was out today, and it didn't look like anyone was going to come out, judging by the gathering storm clouds that didn't help him feel any better. The sun was completely covered.

A single, cold drop of rain hit him directly between the eyes, sending searing pain to his headache. He got dizzy and stumbled, trying to stay upright. Why was he so weak? Trying to step forward, he tripped over something pointed and green and sticking up from the ground.

His leg crumpled on contact, and he toppled backwards. The rain came hard and fast, drenching him. He blinked the water out of his eyes, trying to see. There was kryptonite everywhere, half-buried in the ground. It must have had fallen from the continent he had lifted...but no one had removed it. Clark crawled, trying to escape the pain. Managing to climb to his feet, he hopped a few times, like an injured bird struggling to fly. When it didn't work, he fell and resorted to crawling again.

It was so sad it was almost funny. Here he was, the survivor of countless genius and devastating attacks each of which he had thwarted, and he was going to die in a pretty little meadow filled with sparkling rocks, hardly putting up a fight.

A few tears escaped as he pictured Lois's face for the last time. He only wished he could have told her how much he loved her, and stayed with her. If he had, he wouldn't have been in this mess. When Jason's face came to mind, he wished he had spent more time with his son, that he could live to help him control his powers. So many thoughts soared through his mind, though it had only been a few minutes.

_'Could this be any slower?'_ he thought to himself, gasping for air. It was like he was just being batted around by a giant cat, played with until he got boring. If he was going to die, couldn't it at least be quick and painless? Crawling, he struggled to live, to escape the burning heat of the radioactive stones. Funny, the very planet that birthed a thousand civilizations was now killing him. That was the last thought to cross his mind until the pain blurred then blackened his vision. A bright light flooded his eyes, and he passed out.

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Bruce leapt from the car, splashing through the mud, not really caring about how terrible his clothes were quickly becoming. He almost missed the figure now soaking wet and splattered with mud. In fact, he would have just kept on driving by if he hadn't noticed out of the corner of his eye a dull blue hue in the distance collapsing. Also, it helped to know that there was a vast store of kryptonite in the ground here. Of course, if Superman fell anywhere, it would be here.

Of course, there he was, sprawled in the mud like a fallen bird. Sighing, Bruce wished he had brought Alfred with him; it would be much easier. As strong as he was, lifting Clark would be no easy task; at least, lifting him without injuring him.

He wrapped his arms firmly around his unconscious friend, pulling upward. In fact, he even managed to pull him almost upright, and he started to drag Clark over to the car.

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Lex sat back in his comfortable sofa, putting up his feet. The officers should have known it would only be a matter of time before he broke out. With the help of a few new prison buddies, he had picked the lock with a fork and knocked out the guards. The rest was quite easy, and now here he was, hiding in one of his various estates. It would take the police forever to search every house he owned, so he had time; time to set his plan into motion.

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Bruce couldn't tell if Clark was even alive, but he needed get him to his house now. Once again, he cursed the slowness of his car, though he was reaching eighty-five. Suddenly, a horrible thought struck him just as he heard a police siren. Shit.

"Sir, do you realize that you were...hey...hey, who's that?" asked the cop suddenly, gesturing towards the unconscious passenger; or dead, but right now neither helped his situation. Bruce sighed. There was only really one way out of this, and the poor cop was just a rookie. Moving quickly, he struck the man on the side of his head with one carefully aimed blow, knocking him out instantly. Great; this would look really bad if he got pulled over again. Grumbling, he drove off at the painfully slow posted speed, now with _two_ unconscious passengers. Why couldn't this just be easy for once?

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Lois sat at the bar, sipping her drink lightly. The music was starting to hurt her ears, but she didn't care. Outer pain seemed to ease the inner pain. Wincing, she took another sip.

A man flopped down onto the chair next to her, tugging at his collar in a familiar way that caught her eye. It was just because he was hot, but that didn't stop Lois from staring, not even when he turned and gave her an odd look.

"Hey, good-lookin'," he said mildly, smiling at her. He wasn't technically hitting on her, just being friendly. Lois offered a weak smile.

"Hey," she murmured in return, almost able to look him in the eye. He was blonde, but his blue eyes reminded her of someone else.

"I'm Tom. What's your name, beautiful?"

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Clark groaned and sat up, holding his head. He felt nauseous, but the open window helped a little. Rising shakily to his feet, he walked over and reached out, only to touch cold glass. Boy, that window was clean. Grabbing the bottom rim firmly, he pulled up. His efforts failed, not quite being strong enough to open the window yet. It also didn't help that it was locked. He turned to find another way out, only to meet the eyes of another man entering the room.

"Oh dear, you're already up," said the man in his strong British accent. He was carrying a tray with a pitcher of water and a glass. Clark backed up, though he knew who the man was.

"Hey, Alfred."

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"...you didn't have to do that," mumbled Clark, taking another grudging sip of water. It wasn't that he had anything against Bruce, but he detested being the victim.

"Well, from the way you were out cold in the mud surrounded by kryptonite breathing your last breath, I'd have to say I did," said Bruce shortly, shrugging. He didn't like to brag, but it wasn't often Superman needed saving.

"How long was I out?" asked Clark, silently asking another question. _How many people suffered because I wasn't there for them?_

Bruce seemed to know both.

"Aah, only a couple of hours. Really, Clark, you have to stop blaming yourself for things you can't help. Also, you either need to get rid of that landfill of kryptonite or I can keep picking you up off the ground," grumbled Bruce. Clark thought hard.

"But how am I supposed to do that? I can't even go near it!" he exclaimed, his quick mind jumping from idea to idea. Bruce had the same sharpness, but it didn't require much thought to solve this one.

"I'll have some men get rid of it," he said, and Clark glared at him. Great, now he owed him two things.

"Gee, thanks."

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Okay, see? I told you a little OC. But anyway, it's a pretty good chapter, it has lots of important moments. I decided to drag Bruce into the mess because it seemed a little lame to mention him in the middle and not reinforce his 'friendship' with Clark. Just so you all know, Bruce is the OC part, but I've never written a batman fanfic before, so go easy on me, I'm just getting the hang of Bruce. Seriously, it can't be that hard to click the little review button below...go on, just click it!


	21. Lois and Clark

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

I actually really, really like this chapter...it's got a little more humor for you comedy-lovers. I hope you like it, and please review, I didn't get much feedback from my last chapter...but that could be because it was bad, haha...bad, but important to the plot in general. This chapter is one of those little pearls...important _and _good...not that I mean to pat myself on the back, but I recognize a nice chapter when I type one. Well, if you like this chapter, leave nice long reviews. Tell me what you like and what you don't like...but no flamers, please.

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Clark circled the globe a little more carefully, making sure his altitude was high enough to escape the deadly green energy. It was relatively quiet, and he decided to check up on Jason. This time, though, he would be a little more wary of paranoid teenagers with bats.

It was easy to slip unseen behind the house. It was so easy to open Jason's window without a sound. It was even easier to land silently, trying not to wake the family. Suddenly the door opened, revealing the angry mother. Things just got a whole lot harder.

"Lois, I..." he tried to explain himself, but she cut him off.

"I know. You're here to see Jason, not me. You're always here. But how come you're never here for me?" she asked, her voice full of pain. He winced visibly, adding fuel to her fire.

"I don't want to wake up Jason, but we need to talk. Come downstairs with me." It was an order, not a request. Even Superman didn't dare refuse her, but at least he could stall.

"Lois..." he started, but once again she cut him off. Apparently, she knew all the answers tonight.

"Lucy isn't here. She's out on a date." Turning, she walked out the door, clearly signaling for him to follow her. For a split second, Clark contemplated running away, but decided against it. It would be much worse to have a furious Lois than an upset Lois...not that he wanted her to be upset, but it was usually better for everyone's health when she wasn't furious.

Timidly, he followed her down the steps, the wood creaking beneath the unexpected weight. He tried not to seem too mild, just in case it was too 'Clark Kent.' He grumbled to himself. Why couldn't he just be himself? Kal-El...neither Clark Kent nor Superman, he seemed so alien. Which, of course, was perfect for an alien like him. Before he knew it, he was in the living room, sitting on the couch while Lois poured coffee. The scene was odd; Superman sat patiently on the couch while Lois Lane calmly poured drinks. It was like he was watching it from somewhere else, as someone else.

She handed him a steaming cup of coffee, and sat on a couch across from him. Blowing gently on her coffee, she watched for a moment as he took a big swallow, not noticing scalding heat. She tried to find the words that she had told herself to say to him, but was barely able to find them. She remembered, though, the opening line.

"Why are you ignoring me?" she asked angrily, not quite sure if she should feel miserable or enraged. He looked away, and she decided on enraged.

"I know you're not ignoring Jason. You visit him every night, because he's always tucked in and asleep when I come to check up on him. Before you came back, before the...the hospital...it was never like that. I always tucked him in. Always." She stumbled on, going off course and losing track of what she was trying to say. He wasn't like most men, though. He paid rapt attention to every word she said, like she was a goddess. She frowned.

"Stop that," she snapped, looking away and glaring at the floor. He looked confused.

"Stop what?" he asked, puzzled. He hadn't even said anything, and yet she found fault in everything he did.

"Stop...being so...so...you!" she exclaimed, reddening slightly. He still looked politely bewildered.

"Well, who do you want me to be?" he asked, answering himself in his head, not daring to say it out loud. _Kal-El._ Himself. Clark Kent and Superman together, like they weren't two seperate people.

"I don't know...someone a little less...perfect," she finished lamely, trying to figure out where the conversation left off. Oh yeah, Jason. No, wait, ignoring her.

"But why are you avoiding me? Is it something I did? Something I said? One day you act like you're in love with me, and the next you avoid me like the plague!" She tried to relax her choking throat, so tears wouldn't come and she wouldn't look weak in front of the man without weakness.

Clark was silent. How could he tell her of his childish idea that maybe she would like Clark Kent if Superman was out of the way? How could he tell her that he loved her without any doubt, that he would die a thousand times over for her to be happy? She assumed he was perfect...but she seemed to bring out all the flaws in him.

"I...I didn't mean to avoid you, but..." he started, but she interrupted him.

"Of course you didn't mean to. You're perfect in every way, only doing what's best for the world. But while I'm here, you're there, saving someone in need. I don't mean to stop you from doing your job, but I can't be with someone who's never there for me. You're gone all day and all morning and all night, only to stop by to see your son," she said painfully, trying not to cry. She just wanted him all to herself...but was that selfish? The world deserved him more than she did...but what about him? Didn't he deserve a little happiness, too?

How could he tell her he was always there, every day, working with her? How could he tell her that he still followed her like a lovesick puppy, even in the day? He opened his mouth to tell her, tried to make himself speak, but couldn't do it. Too many people already knew, and telling Lois might put her in danger. He shut his mouth and bowed his head.

"I can't stop you from visiting Jason, he needs you more than I do. But...but I think we both need our space for now," she said, forcing the last part out. Her blood chilled as he sat quietly for another ten seconds, and she prayed that he would do anything, say anything, just to make the cold, guilty silence stop. She released her breath when he stood, and yet she wished he wouldn't go.

"I...I guess I'll just go now," murmured Clark, emotions tangling with a dead weight somewhere in his stomach...or was that his heart? Lois stood, unable to stop herself from saying it.

"Will...will I see you again?"

Clark gave her a crooked smile.

"I'm always around."

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Clark seemed to be in a daze. He bumped into more people than usual the next morning, but this time he did it accidentally. One little girl almost fell over, but he quickly reached out and righted her, apologizing. His super senses seemed to be dulled, almost to the point of gone. He heard and saw the collisions, but was too weary to dodge them. He wasn't physically weary, but emotionally. He was tired of this, tired of being Clark Kent, tired of being Superman. Couldn't he choose both?

Before he was quite ready, he ran into Lois. His heart melted when he saw her red eyes, the dull, ininterested expression on her face. She looked awful, absolutely miserable, but definitely the most lovely creature he had ever seen. How could she be so perfect in every way? She thought she was too stubborn, but Clark saw she was fiery. She thought she was too ferocious, but Clark saw her as charming and witty. She thought she was so plain looking, when in reality she was the most beautiful thing this planet had to offer. Why couldn't she just see what he saw?

He turned away, almost forgetting that he was Clark and not Superman. She wasn't mad at Clark; just a little frustrated. Sitting in his cubicle, he proceeded to type up the article on the K-9 unit that Perry had assigned him. Suddenly, surprising him with an almost painful jolt, Lois walked in and leaned against his desk, her arms folded.

"Hey," she said quietly, watching his face for a reaction. He opened his mouth but said nothing. Closing it, he swallowed and tried to start over.

"Hey," he managed to smile. She sighed and looked away.

"Are we still fighting?" she asked, glancing almost hopefully at Clark's face. He really was cute, in a goofy, dorky sort of way. Sighing, Clark contemplated the statement for a few seconds.

"No, we aren't," he concluded, pulling a smile from his friend. She laughed softly, running a hand nervously through her hair.

"I must look terrible today," she said, half smiling. She was happy that she still had a friend left, but still not sure how to approach him. Were they still buddies, or co-workers being friendly?

"No, not..." he started, but she gave him a sarcastic look. "Well, yeah, you kind of do, but that's okay, we all still love you." He chose his words carefully. He didn't want her to jump to conclusions.

Lois's heart nearly leapt to her throat. Did he love her? Was he just putting 'we' in to cover up his own feelings? Was she just jumping to conclusions? She wasn't so sure anymore. Suddenly, she felt a little bad. How could she swoon over Superman one night, but jump on Clark the next? Maybe it was time to settle with one man...Clark, preferably, but he obviously wasn't interested.

Clark hated decieving her, though if she only asked him, he would gladly tell her everything. He wanted to make her ask, though. He wanted to know that she didn't just love one side of him, but all of him. It was a little obvious that she liked Clark...but did she still love Superman?

"Do...do you want to...maybe get something to eat?" he said cautiously, trying to sound friendly. She sniffed and nodded, wiping her eyes. Maybe a nice dinner out with a good friend would cheer her up.

Smiling shyly, Clark offered her his arm. Yep, this was definitely a buddy relationship. Laughing, Lois took it and dragged him out the door. Perry caught them right before they made it to the elevator.

"Hey...where are you two going?" he yelled, making the pair freeze on the spot, right as the elevator doors opened. They turned around guiltily.

"Um...um...we were just...um..." stuttered Clark, trying to find a loophole. Unable to lie, it made him a terrible lier.

"We were just going out to lunch to compare notes on the dead body the police dogs discovered...you know, I've got the article on the body's identity, and he's got the article on the dogs...maybe we can fit some pieces together," she said smoothly, not missing a beat. Perry didn't do anything for a second, and the pairs' hearts were in their throats. Then, Perry grinned.

"Nice job, great idea. I think you two quick thinkers may get an extra little chunk of cash in your Christmas bonuses...now get out of here and discuss that murder," he said, turning and waving them off with his hand. Lois turned and raised an eyebrow at Clark.

"You are definitely one of the worst liers I have ever met," she said, grinning as Clark smiled sheepishly. The first was...nope, don't even think it. But...he couldn't lie...and neither could Clark...and...nope, don't say it. Don't say it.

"Yeah, well, I'm a generally honest person," said Clark casually, holding out a hand to stop the elevator doors from closing. They stepped in, Lois once again grateful for the silence. Like she always said, nothing was awkward for Clark. Well, maybe it was awkward for Clark, but not for whoever he was with. Quietness just came so naturally with him.

They walked amiably down the street, both of them noticing how their elbows occasionally brushed. Lois leaned towards him a little more, guiltily wanting more contact. Clark, though she didn't know it, was doing the same thing, and they ended up bumping into each other. Both blushing bright red, they murmured apologies and walked on.

With his super hearing, Clark caught the conversation of a couple sitting on a bench not too far but not too near.

"...and with the baby coming, that'll come to...oh, Jerry, look at that adorable couple!"

"What? We're an adorable couple, too, you know."

"No, look at the way they walk together, standing so close, but not even touching...like they're shy but so in love..."

"Hey, isn't that Lois Lane? Ha, Superman would kill her if he caught her with another guy..."

"No, no, I heard they broke up...kind of. Anyway, he's avoiding her for some reason, I read it in a newspaper."

"How do you know? It's not like the reporters follow Lois Lane around...she's a reporter, too."

"Yeah, but they follow Superman around...and he hasn't been seen with her for a few months."

"Annah, you're getting off track again. So, anyway, if we buy this apartment, it'll cost more, but it's in a quieter location..."

He stopped listening when he realized that they were no longer even in view. Lois was staring at him with an odd expression on her face. Nervously, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"What?" he asked, anxiously twiddling his fingers. She shrugged and looked away.

"Nothing, nothing..." she said, smiling a little. He was so cute sometimes, like a kitten, or a child. Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Hey, you left Muffy with us when you...when you moved out...do you want her back?" she asked, glad she remembered to ask him. Jason had begged her not to remind him, but it would be impolite if she didn't.

"Oh, no, keep her. I know Jason likes her, and I wasn't really all that attatched. Besides, I'm a bit too busy to keep a dog, so I'd decided to either let Jason have her or give her to the shelter, anyway," he said, smiling at the thought of his son having his dog. Lois sighed, relieved. She didn't want to be the one to seperate Jason from his beloved puppy.

They walked into the old Italian restaurant, the doors creaking a bit. It was relatively full, but there was never a long wait.There were many tables in the restaurant, and the food was great, so it was one of Clark's favorite places to eat.

"Aah...I think the lasagna sounds good," murmured Clark, flipping through the menu. Lois smiled. It was so nice to be friends again.

"Hm...I think I'll have the spagetti," she said, tossing all of Lucy's logic out the window. Apparently, spagetti was too messy to eat on dates, but it sounded delicious right now. Besides, they weren't on a date, right?

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It was chilly, even though it was late spring. Lois hugged her jacket closer. Being friends with Clark was a welcomed relief. She needed someone to support her when she was falling, but not some stranger. She needed someone who already knew her soft side, the reserved gentleness she saved for close friends and family. Rubbing her arms, she tried to keep warm.

It was getting dark, and Lois regretted not calling a cab. She had decided to walk home, not living too far from the Daily Planet. It was only a fifteen or twenty minute walk, so she decided to go. It was risky to wander around the city, but the city was so beautiful at night she tossed all thoughts of danger from her mind. Usually, it was rather busy, but tonight it was quiet. Worried, she wished there were more people out. The more people there were, the smaller were the chances of getting mugged.

Her heart jumped to her throat when she realized that she was being followed. Shivering, she also realized that there was nobody on the street around her except for the man following her, who was dressed in a thick overcoat and a hat. She could hear him nearing as his boots grew louder, and she quickened her pace. For a few seconds, nothing happened, but suddenly she heard him start running towards her.

Terrified, Lois sprinted, as fast as only a terrified Lois Lane in heels could. She had surprisingly good balance, so she was able to run swiftly. Unfortunately, she wasn't swift enough, for she could hear him catching up. Frightened and breathing raggedly, she looked desperately for an escape route, a shortcut, a place to hide. Finally, her eyes caught an alley, and she turned quickly into it in the hopes of a nice maze of more alleys, which was usually quite common. Sadly, this wasn't one of those alleys. This was a dead end.

Turning, she pulled out a pocketknife, which she always carried with her. The man walked calmly towards her, not worried by the knife. Reaching under his jacket, he pulled out a gun and pointed it to her.

"Put the knife down, lady," he drawled, cocking the gun. Lois, trying not to look as frightened as she felt, tossed the knife to the side and put her hands up. He took a step forward, gesturing with his gun.

"The jacket. Take it off," he demanded, and Lois stopped.

"What?" she snapped, "It's freezing!"

"I didn't ask how cold it was, I told you to take it off before I blow your brains out," he snarled, his finger pressing the trigger. Hurriedly, Lois tore off the jacket. She didn't particularly feel like dying tonight.

"That's more like it. Now, the shirt, that too," he said, his eyes cold. She knew he would shoot, he wasn't bluffing. Slowly, with numb fingers, she unbuttoned the blouse, shaking from the cold. Wishing she hadn't worn a delicate, lacy bra, she tossed the shirt aside. Suddenly, something caught the corner of her eye...something blue.

It was almost too fast to see.One second, the man was standing in front of her, eyeing her greedily, and the next, he was thrown against the brick wall. Lois growled; why couldn't it just be a passing policeman for once? Why was _he_ always the one to save her first? After thoroughly walloping the poor rapist, Superman came back to make sure she was okay. Reaching down, he picked up her shirt.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, handing it to her. Snatching it from his grasp, she pulled it around herself, embarrassed and irritated.

"No, of course he didn't," she snapped, buttoning it hastily. She missed a button, but didn't care. Superman looked a little hurt.

"I was just asking," he said, handing her the jacket, also. She shrugged into it, feeling angrier that he was always right. Shivering, she rubbed her arms.

"Well, you didn't need to come save me. I could handle it myself," she lied, trying not to think about how many times she would be dead without him.

"Yeah, because you looked so in control when I showed up," muttered Clark quietly, but Lois's sharp ears caught it.

"Excuse me, I did not ask you to come save me. I'm not your girl anymore. I _do_ have a boyfriend," she lied again, but this time it worked. His eyes snapped up to meet hers, and she caught the distinct air of envy.

"Who?" he demanded, unable to stop himself. Lois gaped for a moment, he mind searching for a name, any name...

"Clark...Clark Kent."

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Okay...now here's the right time to click that little button on the bottom left...go on, click it...it's not going to bite...


	22. Kisses in the Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Bum...bumbumbumbumbumbumbum...bumbumbumbumbumbumbum...bum bum BUM!

This is it, the most intense chapter I've made so far...and by far the longest, haha. Ooh, be prepared to get knocked back onto your feet! But don't be sad, it's not the end. Seriously, this is way intense, it'll blow your mind.

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Lois walked the rest of the way home alone. He had insisted on taking her himself, but she managed to convince him otherwise. Maybe others would be hurt because he was attending her. He only left when she promised to call for help in the case of an emergency, no matter how angry she was at him. Frustrated, she promised she would, while at the same time swore to not get in any danger.

It was still cold, but she didn't notice. Fear and adrenaline kept her warm, and she barely noticed that she had reached the house until she fumbled the keys, nearly dropping them. Upon entering the house, the first thing she noticed was the delicious smell, something that she had lost when Clark moved out. Confused, she took off her coat and hung it on the coat rack.

"Lucy? Jason?" she called, walking into the kitchen. She relaxed when she saw her sister's warm smile, but went cold when it suddenly disappeared.

"Lois! What happened?" cried a worried Lucy Lane, and Lois winced. After the attack, she had forgotten to straighten her blouse, which must be horribly ripped and wrinkled by now. Also, her hair was a mess, and she had forgotten to smooth it. One heel was broken off, and her shoes were a mess from running in them. Lucy stood and drank in the disaster.

"Lois...did you...did you get..." stuttered Lucy, sounding almost as bad as Clark. Lois gaped, trying to find an answer. In the end, she decided to stick with the truth. It was the easiest, and she was tired of lying; Superman wasn't the best person to lie to, especially if you were acutely aware that he never lied.

"Let's just say I turned out to be the damsel in distress again, Lucy," muttered Lois, turning to go to her room. Maybe it was a bad idea to talk to Lucy, after all. Lucy seemed to think otherwise.

"Lois, you get back here and explain! You nearly scared me to death!" wailed Lucy, running after her older sister to fling her arms around her. Lois sighed, turning to walk back to the kicthen.

"He did it again. I'm so tired of this! Why can't he leave me alone for once?" whimpered Lois, dropping her head in her arms. Lucy patted her back, the consoling sister once again for the umpteenth time this month.

"Well, if he wasn't there..." started Lucy, but Lois cut her off.

"If he wasn't there, I wouldn't be here, yeah, I know...but he could have just gotten the police or something...it's not like I was in a hurry. I had a bit of time, stalling time." She was lying to herself, but it was better than the truth. Sometimes it was okay to wallow in self-pity once in a while.

"Now, where's Jason, I need to see him," she said, looking around. Lucy pointed to the bedroom. It wasn't late, so she knew he wouldn't be sleeping...then what was he doing?

She entered the room, catching him kneeling by the bay window before jerking around and picking up his crayons. He started drawing, obviously hiding something. She raised an eyebrow.

"Honey...what are you doing?" she asked, trying not to be blunt. He looked up at her with those big, innocent, blue eyes...His blue eyes. Lois didn't back down, though. It was important to never let him get the upper hand.

"N...nothing," he stuttered, breaking eye contact and looking away. She almost smiled. He definitely had his father's skill for lying.

"So...what are you drawing?" she asked, seeing him coloring vigorously with the blue crayon.

"Superman," answered Jason immediately, and Lois frowned. How could he be so obsessed with Superman? Well, seeing as the rest of the world was...and seeing as it was his father...but Richard was his father, too. Why wasn't he so obsessed with him? Oh yeah, the little lack of superpowers; superpowers that Jason himself would one day wield. Lois noticed the open window, and walked over to close it. She almost locked it, but stopped herself. Superman deserved to see his son, even if he didn't dererve to see her.

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Clark wasn't sure whether to start laughing or not. It was funny in an odd, sad kind of way. Did she really consider him her boyfriend? Hadn't they gone over this? Frustrated and confused, he started to chuckle.

He wasn't quite sure where to go, or what to do. It was quiet, it was in the middle of the night, and he had nothing to do. Flying up, he started flying west at an amazing speed. It was actually seconds before he reached the sun. Sighing, he flew up directly into the fantastic heat, stretching and having an all-around incredible sunbath. It felt fabulous...he could feel strength searing to his very fingertips. For about an hour, he followed the sun, sunbathing until he got bored and felt ready to burst with might.

Brow furrowed, he tried to think of something to do, but came up with nothing. Was he really that boring? Was there nothing he could do, absolutely no way to get rid of this endless energy? Maybe that was why he couldn't give up superheroing; not only would people suffer for his decision, living as Clark Kent forever would kill him. There had to be something to do on a Friday night. What did normal men do? Go to movies? A waste of time. Find women? Also a waste of time. He had a woman...kind of. Well, Clark Kent did. Maybe Clark Kent _did_ have a life. A woman preferred him over Superman...was that good or pathetic? What was there to do on a Friday night? Hmm...there was a big celebrity party going on...no, no, he couldn't. Well, it would be funny...nope, no, no way. Smiling, he imagined spending his time trying to break every world record there was...he laughed at the thought of 'most bounces on a pogo stick,' and laughed harder still at the one he could never break. 'Most body piercings.'

Floating down to a secluded area, he changed back into Clark Kent and strolled the streets, wondering what to do. A newspaper tumbled across the sidewalk, looking like a modern western scene. The one with the tumbleweed. All western scenes have to have a tumbleweed. Picking it up, he noticed a small article, almost squished by another article about lawn mowers. The picture showed an elderly lady and two ragged children, standing outside of a large but tattered building. The article was actually so small that he had to use his super vision to zoom in. It was about an orphanage, an orphanage that existed on charity. Government wouldn't fund it, and it didn't make enough buisness to fund itself. The roof was obviously collapsing, and the children looked thin. It seemed there was nothing he could do to help these people...wait...charity...hmm...

It wasn't hard to follow the address without getting noticed. He just flew above the city, scanning the street signs. He was interrupted twice, once to put out a fire and once to catch some bank robbers, but his mission went generally smooth. Flying silently, no one noticed him land in the empty streets. It was quiet, and scanning the building, he saw that the children were asleep. He flew to the roof, surprised when it groaned under his weight. Even if it wasn't strong, it should be able to support him. Reaching down, he pulled a nail easily from its place. It was old, rusted, and bent, barely in. Clark smiled a little. Maybe...

Focusing his heat vision, he melted the rust away, careful not to melt the metal. It was tricky, but do-able. Then, he used his heat vision to melt the metal into a soft lump, working it with his fingers into the shape of a freshly made nail. Grinning with success, he placed it to the wood and pushed, sliding it smoothly into place.

He finished the roof in record time. His super speed allowed him to re-nail the entire roof in less than twenty minutes. He could have been faster, but he didn't want to wake the children. Leaving the roof, he jumped to the ground and surveyed the brick walls. They were cracked and old, and he could actually see inside the building. Smiling again, he focused his heat vision on the cracks, welding them neatly shut. He continued this until the building was as secure as it must have been many years ago, when it was first built. Feeling rather proud, he turned to leave. This shoudld give the reporters something to write about; a building completely repaired overnight. This was exactly the kind of publicity the orphanage needed. The issue of money was no longer a problem.

Looking through the walls, he found that it was only half after nine. He nearly screamed with frustration. What did a guy have to do around here to kill some time? He sat down on the steps, trying to think of a way to spend the rest of his weekend.

Suddenly, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. Leaping to his feet, ready for the worst, he saw a small girl, about Jason's age. She had thin, dirty blonde hair (not the color, just dirty) and large green eyes. Her clothes were ragged and torn, so it must have been freezing for her to be outside in them. Sniffing, she wiped her tiny nose.

"Superman?" she asked in her quiet, thin voice. She was positively skinny, her arms like tiny sticks poking out of her nightgown. He stared for a moment, then regained his composure.

"Yes?" he offered, trying not to smile. If he wanted to look like the powerful icon of earth, usually it require a little less smiling and a little more awe-inspiring seriousness. She didn't seem in awe, though. With one minute finger, she gestured for him to come closer. Cautiously, he sank to one knee, almost eye-level with the little girl. He still had to bow his head to make eye contact, though, being about six foot three.

Moving with the quiet sureness of a cat, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he blinked, surprised, before carefully placing his hands on her narrow shoulders. She was so fragile, he felt he would break her if he tried hugging her back.

"Thank you," she whispered, so quietly that if he wasn't Superman, he never would have heard it. He smiled gently.

"You're welcome." Maybe he just needed to slow down and take time for things like this once in a while.

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Lois sat in her room, making a list of possible men in her life. Superman was ideal, but he was never around. Clark was perfect, but would he be enough for on-the-go, exciting Lois Lane? Well, not that exciting. After all, she was at home on a Friday night, making a stupid list because she had nothing else to do. Chewing on the eraser, she thought long and hard. Clark was preferable, but he made it obvious he didn't want a relationship. Superman wanted one, but currently thought she had a boyfriend, Clark, which she didn't. Oh, the endless questions without answers. Suddenly, her phone rang, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Picking it up, she answered in a shaking voice.

"H-hello?"

"Hey, it this Lois?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Uh, it's me, Tom...from the bar?"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot you got my number..."

"Hey, I was just wondering, if you weren't doing anything tonight...I mean, I know it's kind of short notice and all..."

"Are you asking me on a date?"

"Well, no, not really...I mean, yeah, yes...kind of..."

"Well, if this is a date, no. If this is an opportunity to get to know a nice guy better, then sure, why not." She wasn't interested in another boyfriend, but it wouldn't do to just shoot the poor guy down. He had such potential.

"Yeah...yeah, that'd be great! I'll...I'll pick you up at...ten? You live a few minutes away from the Daily Planet, by the bay, right?"

"Um...yeah." How much exactly did she tell him?

"Okay...okay, great...I'll come and pick you up, and maybe we can go to the park or something."

Lois hung up, stunned. Was this another guy she was dragging into her dysfunctional, screwed-up life? Oh, no, he definitely didn't deserve this. She'd have to warn him about the dangers of meeting her...like a jealous ex, for one.

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Lois came home a few hours later, a little disappointed. The instant Tom had heard who she was and who her ex was, he literally ran like a scared rabbit. Was her life that scary? Maybe it was.

Lois now fully appreciated every single friend she had. Before she went to bed, she called up Richard just to talk, kissed Jason on the forehead, even though he was already asleep, and gave Lucy a hug, even though her sister was grumpy and tired. Flopping down on her soft, wolcoming bed, she wondered what she could do for Clark. He was there for her in every aspect of her life, unlike a certain superhero whose name shall not be mentioned. He was always there, supporting her in the background, letting her take credit, and running forward to catch her when she fell. When was the last time she had done something for him? As a friend? There must be something she could do to show him that she could be there for him, too. Smiling, she suddenly came up with an idea, a crazy, fantastic idea, something that could represent all the years of getting to know each other.

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Clark collapsed onto the unused bed. Bruce had fixed him up with a nice, not too expensive apartment, and all that was left to do was to buy the furniture. Having not eaten or slept for quite a while, and having left all of his money in the bank before he left, he had a rather large amount of spending money; actually, a small fortune. Working at the Daily Planet and never needing to spend a scent on food or furniture had really paid off.

He wasn't tired, just a little in need of comfort. He hadn't had cooked himself a decent meal in months, but he didn't really need to eat. It was nice, though, to have the luxury of eating once in a while. Switching on the television set, he tried to lose himself to the blank stare that the television seemed to induce, but was unable to. It was just so...boring. Yawning, he closed his eyes, rolled over, and slept.

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Work was the last thing that Clark Kent really felt like doing. He was frustrated and grumpy, having had his sleep interrupted seven times during the night. Even though he didn't need to sleep, he still enjoyed it every now and then. Feeling like the world was out to get him, he stepped into the elevator.

The office was crowded and stuffy, and Clark wished he could feel the sun. Working his way carefully through the crowd, he managed to reach his desk. He looked around, saw that nobody was watching, and started typing up his report at high speed. It was high enough to finish within minutes, but not quite so high that it was suspicious. The noise irritated him, and he typed faster.

"Hey, Clark!" A way too cheerful voice called him. Clark yelped and instantly stopped typing. He turned around to face Lois, who looked amazed. He gulped, hoping she wouldn't suspect...

"Wow, you type fast," she commented, shrugging. He let his breath out. Maybe she would never find out, maybe his true identity would remain a secret forever. She looked around, scanning for Perry.

"Hey...come on, I have to show you something," she whispered, grabbing his arm and leading him towards the elevator. Clark was confused. She didn't usually act like this. Keeping secrets was not the strong point of most reporters. She literally dragged him into the elevator.

"Lois, where are we..." he stuttered, stopping when she pushed the top button, the rooftop. He wondered what she was planning. The rooftop was usually saved for when she felt miserable or depressed, and needed to be alone. Right now, she looked cheerful beyond belief. He watched her face carefully. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a thin scarf.

"Okay, before we go up..." she said, holding up the cloth up with one hand and gesturing for him to lean over with the other. He sighed patiently and meekly obeyed.

"Lois, what are you..." he started, but she practically snarled at him.

"Shut up and stop moving, I have to tie it!"

Clark could hear her smiling, and he grinned, too.

"Okay, fine."

He heard the door open, and she led him out by the elbow. He could have looked through the thin material easily, but he trusted her and decided to humor her.

"Okay...take it off..."

He reached up and gently pulled the cloth above his eyes. His eyebrows raised to meet his shaggy bangs, and the goofy grin spread slowly across his face.

There, on the cold, gray tile of the roof, lay a thick checkered blanket, complete with a wicker picnic basket. Around it was a gathering of food, varying from a luscious chocolate cake to steaming little eggrolls, lined up side by side. He stared at it for a moment, then at Lois, who blushed a little.

"What?" she asked self-consciously, twisting her fingers. Clark chuckled.

"Don't you think we're a little old to be having a picnic?" he teased, pulling her into a warm hug. It _was_ rather chilly on the roof. She laughed and hugged back.

"Well, fine, let me just take this cake and go give it to Perry, maybe I can get a nice fat raise," she giggled, taking his hand and leading him to sit on the comfortable blanket. He picked up a paper plate as she picked up the cake knife.

"Here, let me," he offered, reaching out for the knife. She quickly snatched it out of his reach.

"Okay, two problems with letting you cut this here cake. First, you're my guest, so you can't do anything. Second...what, do you thin my womanly strength isn't enough to lift the kinfe? Huh?" she smiled, reaching over to smack his arm. He laughed and put up his hands defensively.

"First, it doesn't matter if I'm you're guest, I'm trying to be gentlemanly. Second...your womanly strength definitely isn't enough to lift the knife, sorry." He laughed and she glared at him while trying not to grin.

"Okay, funny man, I'm going to ignore that one, but just so I can totally prove you wrong. I can lift this knife just about as easily as you can," she said, cutting a thick slice out. Licking her lips, she aimed for his plate.

Abruptly, a rolling grumble of thunder erupted from the bowels of the sky. Lois looked up, horror etched in her face. A large, cold drop hit her directly between the eyes.

"Nooo!" she shrieked, leaping to her feet. Clark leapt up, also, confused. He hadn't felt the rain.

"Lois?" he asked, reaching towards her. She saw it coming before it reached her. The sky had started belching ugly, gray city-rain a few blocks down, and it absolutely poured. Horrified, she looked back at the perfect lunch she had worked so hard to make, drinking in the delicious scene for one final second before the rain hit.

It was like suddenly getting a bucket of water dumped directly over her. The raindrops struck them with alarming speed and force, their freezing coldness icing her and rasing goosebumps. Clark actually laughed, but Lois just couldn't take it anymore. The horrible stench of failure lingered everywhere around her, choking her, drowning her. Wailing the chilling cry of a banshee, she covered her face with her cold, wet hands and sobbed. Why was everything going wrong in her life?

Clark stared at her, alarmed. Her distress forced a powerful, aggressive side to emerge, ready to tackle whatever was causing her such anguish, be it the rain or the very sun that gave him power. For a moment, he stood, fighting an internal battle over whether or not to blow away the clouds and make her happy. Unable to decide, his body decided for him. Moving swiftly and surely, he walked over to her and enveloped her in his warm, firm grip. Crying a little more softly, more like a kitten now, she collapsed into his chest, beating him with her little fists. He took her blows with the patience of a grandfather to his grandchildren, waiting until she was quite done. Exhausted and sniffling, she quieted into soft whimpers. All of the pent-up emotion and disappointment was just released in a matter of minutes, and she was tired. Clark looked down at her.

"Lois?" he murmured gently, meeting her eyes. She looked up, her red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes meeting his own dark ones, and he ducked and caught her lips in a kiss.

After a moment of stunned shock, she responded, kissing him back deeply. He was passive, and allowed her to dominate him. He didn't want her to recognize his...style. He acted shy and unsure, letting her hands run up and down his arms, reaching up to snatch handfuls of thick, dark hair, and lowering to feel the muscles of his back. Frightened, he tried to slow down, but he didn't find it possible. He missed her so much, he was unable to pull away. He managed to seperate, though, and found his breathing ragged.

"Lois..." he started, his mind fighting visciously with his body. It was a battle of will over instinct, and so far, instinct was succeeding. He couldn't step away, yet he couldn't continue. Lois answered the question for him, kissing his cheek and traveling down his jawline, cherishing every stubbled inch of skin. Passion grew, and he tangled his hands in her wavy hair, loving every sensation. Her hands found their way under his shirt, feeling the grooves of his shoulderblades and traveling down until...

Clark gasped, and tried to pull away, but it was too late. Lois didn't let go, grasping his lower back with her nails, which of course didn't pierce. Of course. Eyes wide, she stared into his face, and he could see her mentally removing his glasses, brushing his hair back, though she didn't do either; she just stared.

It was there. It was there, the tiny scar of rememberance, the scar that Lois herself had made, though she did it to save his life. Superman's life. Clark's life. Of course.

She couldn't tear her eyes away. Of course. It was so absolutely obvious, she kicked herself a thousand times for not seeing it. But Clark...he was so different. Nobody saw him from how he looked, only how he acted. Hell, even if he walked into work without glasses, nobody would notice. It was just Clark.

Tears filled her green-brown eyes as pain filled his, pain for hurting her like this. Why, oh why didn't he trust her? Why did he hide this from her? She slid her hands out of his shirt, traveling up his sides and ending on his broad shoulders.

"Kiss me like you mean it," she murmured, almost mouthed. He watched her for another ten seconds, painfully, regretfully, tearfully. Then, he seemed to come to a decision.

"I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes, feeling the choking swell of grief and hurt. It seemed to overwhelm her, swallow her, until...

Suddenly, she felt his lips on hers, but he didn't even do anything...he just stayed still. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with amazing force that nearly blew her mind open, like a funnel into the past which she was traveling in top speed in, everything sped through her mind, flashing in visions of light that suddenly made sense and fit perfectly into the puzzle. Niagra Falls, Clark...Jason. Not Jason, but...the night he was brought into her life. The last scene blew her off of her feet, and yet made absolute sense. The kiss; the last kiss he had given her, the one that stole her life and her memory.

Sobbing, she collapsed, held up by Clark, Superman, Kal-El. She couldn't stem the flow of tears, nor the visions that passed through her mind again and again. It was like it would never end, torturing her with memories.

Clark held her, and she cried in his arms yet again. This time, though, she cried for a new reason. She cried because possibly her most valued memories were swept from her barely after she recieved them, cried because she hated the man that held her, cried because he didn't deserve to know it.

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Okay, okay, before you scream and claw my eyes out about that last part, she doesn't hate Clark, really...she just hates what he did to her. Just wanted to clear that up, because I couldn't find a way to re-phrase that sentence without losing the intensity. Admit it, it was intense. Now...see that little button in the corner? Click it. Oh yeah, and I'd like a big round of applause for my bis sis, not only did she proof this chapter, she helped me with a few ideas...like the book of world records, I thought that was rather funny...and with how Lois would find out...though that one was mostly me. So, click that little review button and tell me what you think!


	23. Pain and discovery

Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Totally sorry I didn't update sooner, but I'm going through a writer's block. I may not update the next chapter for a little while, so please be patient, writer's block is tough, as you authors out there probably know. Anyway, read and review!

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Lois woke up in a cold sweat. Shaking, she felt her stomach tremble, and she immediately rushed to the bathroom. Leaning over the cold white bowl, she threw up into the toilet.

Taking deep breaths and sitting back, she put her face in her hands. They felt cold against her burning skin, and she groaned. Was it all a dream? What was the dream? Suddenly, all the memories came rushing back, and she stifled a sob. Clark Kent...he was Superman...he was there for her all along. She thought there would be no time for them to be together, but there he was, in front of her the entire time. Which meant...

She sat upright so quickly that she felt her back crack a little. Looking around, she saw him, dressed in casual clothes minus the glasses. His hair was neither shaggy nor slicked back; it was somewhere in between, and she rather liked it. His face was apologetic, and he held a cup of cold water.

She felt too tired and weak to rise, and she was relieved when he brought the cup to her, kneeling to sit next to her. Grasping the icy glass, she downed the water in one gulp. Then, she remembered what she had been thinking about.

Turning to face him, she smacked his arm. Her own arm shuddered in response, disliking the contact, but she was satisfyed to see him wince. In fact, he didn't even ask why she hit him. Rather, he sat patiently and willingly, withstanding her blows.

"Why were you there? Why were you always there, in the office?" she demanded, and he looked surprised for the first time.

"What...I thought that would be the only thing you would be happy about!" he exclaimed, his stunning blue eyes wide. She almost felt like collapsing into his strong arms and swooning in his masculine essence, but she held her emotions and desires back.

"You were there for me when you should have been there for everyone else! How many people died because you were 'working?'" she snarled, her throat aching from the pressure. He looked like he was about to laugh, and his mood lifted.

"Zero," he said simply, "Didn't you notice how many times I was missing?"

She felt like an idiot. Of course, Clark was always late; in fact, the only reason he was never fired was because his work was always diligent, thorough, and perfect, lying on Perry's desk, fresh and ready to print.

"Well...when exactly were you planning on telling me?" she insisted, needing something to argue about. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Umm...when you found out?" he offered, grimacing at her expression, "Well...I couldn't tell you, or I'd feel guilty about putting you in danger. I knew you'd find out sometime...so I decided to let you find out on your own. It helped me feel less guilty, and it prevented you from being in danger for a while."

He wasn't even sure why he didn't tell her, but it somehow made sense to him.

Lois spend a moment thinking about his answer. It was a selfish answer, it enraged and irritated her, and yet...it was exactly what she wanted. He was thinking about himself this time...partially. Most of him didn't want to tell her because the more people he told, the more people would be in danger. A tiny, miniscule part, though, didn't want to tell her because he'd feel guilty about putting her in danger...Lois smiled. He was doing just what she wanted him to do...a little.

"Well...I guess that makes sense...kind of." She could barely believe that she hadn't seen him..how could she miss it? The only thing that seperated Clark Kent and Superman was a pair of glasses. She couldn't believe what a moron she...they...had been.

"So, what do I call you?" she asked calmly, and he looked thoughtful.

"Just Clark is fine," he decided. He had been called Clark for his entire life, and it wasn't about to change now. Lois offered a weak smile, which he readily returned; yep, he was still the same old Clark Kent...just a little...cooler? Lois laughed. No matter how you looked at it, Clark Kent was never 'cool.' He was cool to her, but if you told anybody else that, they would most likely start laughing.

He stiffened, obviously listening to something else. Lois sighed. Well, nobody was perfect.

"Go," she said, nodding towards the bay window. He hesitated for only a moment, his eyes pleading an apology; then, he was gone. Lois slumped against the cool tile wall, unbelievably happy that Lucy had taken Jason to the amusement park. Looking around, Lois noticed something. This wasn't Lucy's house.

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Clark rocketed upward, the wind whipping his cape around wildly. Maybe it looked impressive, but it really just slowed him down, though not by much. In fact, the only reason he had a cape was to intimidate the villains, and also there was the fact that the costume looked a bit silly without it. The air thinned, though Clark barely noticed it. He didn't honestly need to breathe, not while he was so close to the sun.

There it was; the enormous rocket was hurdling back towards earth, the intense heat visibly pummeling the aircraft. Clark cared less for Rachel's safety, though, than for the safety of the captive pilots. For their sake, he directed the ship towards the ocean by pressing on the side of it. Obviously, whoever was flying the ship was doing a terrible job; they had been heading straight for Colorado, and it wouldn't have been a smooth landing. Actually, it would be something more along the lines of jumping off a trampoline and sinking your head straight in a pile of rocks. Anyway, it wouldn't be pretty.

Adding gradual but firm pressure, he straightened and guided the craft, ending up carrying it on his back. Focusing on the cleanest, smoothest landing possible, he released the ship right above the water, letting it skim the surface right before settliung; beautiful.

Unfortunately, the feeling of accomplishment was short-lived. Too heavy to float, the aircraft began to sink. Clark groaned. Great. If the ship sank, the space suits would of course go to those in charge; mainly, Rachel and co. The prisoners would definitely die. Grabbing the top of the rocket, he could hold it easily, but here was the dilemma. He could either let go and grab the occupants, all of whom he couldn't carry without injuring them, or he could fly them all to land, in which case some might escape. Like his feeling of accomplishment, this was also short-lived. He had to carry it to land.

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Lois wandered around, not quite sure where she was. It wasn't large or glamorous, but the place had a certain air of elegance. In fact, it even had a large balcony overlooking the bay. Shivering, Lois left the balcony and looked around a bit more. Then, her eye caught a door partially open. Her naturally curious nature made her push it open and enter.

The room was smaller than the others, but comfortable. There was a large bed, but it wasn't drastically huge. It was a nice shade of beige, which wasn't easy to find. The walls were soft, pastel blue, with a creamy ivory rim. Lois opened the dresser drawer, smiling when she saw plaid shirts, and smiled again when she opened another drawer to see faded blue jeans. In an instant, she knew she was in Clark's room; not Superman's, Clark's. Superman's room was somewhere in the Arctic or something, anyway she remembered snow and ice. And his room...Lois sniffed and bit her thumb, not yet ready to take on that memory. It was still tender, and not prepared for her careful dissection.

Looking up, she saw several pictures resting on the dresser. One had a picture of an elderly couple with him, but he was just a child. Lois laughed out loud when she saw that, even as a kid, he sported a pair of thick glasses. In fact, even in the picture, he was pushing them up the bridge of his nose. Seeing the second picture, Lois stopped laughing and reached out to touch the faces. It was one of her, set several years ago, before Jason was born. There she was, with Clark, standing in front of the Niagra Falls. He looked his old goofy self, but she looked...different. She looked carefree, fiery, ready to leap into action. Had she changed so much?

"Having fun?" asked a deep voice behind her. Lois gasped and jumped, whipping around to see Clark...but he wasn't Clark anymore. He was there, but dressed in royal blue, his scarlet cape whipping dramatically behind him. His hair was sleek and the curl was there as it was always, tempting and ready to pull, but his face wasn't the same. It was sad, apologetic, and a little bit shy. The body belonged to Superman, but the face was Clark. Lois felt ready to accept both.

"Just...catching up," she said, smiling weakly. He looked nervous, and she liked that. Walking over to him, she stood, directly in front of him, so close and yet she didn't make contact. Lois could almost hear his heart beat faster.

"Well, apparently we're playing hooky from work today...what do you want to do?" she asked suggestively, raising a perfect eyebrow. Clark seemed unable to breathe. Their eyes connected, and the friction was almost unbearable. Blue eyes buried themselves in hazel eyes, and hours seemed to pass in the space of a few seconds. Breathless, she reached up to catch a lock of hair, run her hand along the arch of his neck, anything just to touch him. As her fingertips hovered mere centimeters from his cheek, the moment was broken by the harsh, earsplitting ring of a phone. Lois watched the internal battle Clark was obviously fighting, and grinned when his honest side won. This wasn't going to be pretty.

He picked up the phone, wncing as Perry's sharp vioce sliced through the air. Lois couldn't help but smile at his situation; unable to lie, and yet not willing to admit what was going on.

"Yes...yes, I know...no...no, sir...Lois...yeah...Lois Lane...she was hurt, and I took the responsibility of taking care of her...yes...of course...we'll be back in the office tomorrow morning!"

Lois couldn't stifle a chucke; a day with Superman...women would kill for the chance. Clark turned and smiled bashfully at Lois.

"...so...where do you feel like going?" he asked serenely, his eyes gentle and his smile welcoming. Lois sighed and turned to give the bedroom a hard glance.

"Well...your bed has a certain appeal..." she snickered as she saw him blush deeply. "But I think that new park sounds just as fun."

He grinned boyishly and she caught a mischevious look in his eyes. She saw it coming, but wasn't near quick enough to stop it. Faster than a speeding bullet and stronger than a god, he scooped her up off her feet and held her cradled in his arms. Yelping, she struck his shoulder.

"Okay, we're all glad you're back to normal, but you better put me down, or get ready for an ass-whipping!" she squealed, kicking and struggling. It was no use. Though his hands were gentle, they were as firm as steel. She wasn't getting out. Clark laughed, but stopped when he looked down at himself.

"Oh, gosh, I better get changed," he said, gesturning towards his Superman outfit. Lois almost collapsed laughing; for one thing, it was hysteria-inducing to hear Superman say 'gosh.' For another thing, Superman at the carnival with Lois Lane would make front-page news...and guess who ran the newspaper? Yep, the same man that believed that Lois was sick today.

Clark set Lois gently on her feet, then tugged a pair of faded jeans on, and finally slipped into a button-up plaid shirt. Lois grinned. Even in plaid, Clark was pretty damn sexy. It took a real man to pull off the plaid look.

"So, how do I look?" he asked, his eyes hopeful. Lois shrugged nonchalantly, then grinned.

"Well...I think you might need a little something extra," she laughed, and his eyes widened when he realized that he forgot his glasses. That would make an even bigger front page story: Superman's identity revealed. Man of Steel is actually world's biggest hic Clark Kent.

When he had once again made the transformation to Clark Kent, she looped her arm in his and marched him to the door.

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"Daddy!"

A very angry voice echoed through the halls, making Lex cringe. That girl was shrill sometimes.

"Daddy, he's not dead, he's not dead!" shrieked Rachel, sprinting into the room. Lex had his nose buried in a book, and was busy jotting down notes and page numbers. He gave her a quick glance, then plunged back into his studies.

"What? Oh, yeah, yeah, I knew that already..." he said boredly, flipping through the book. Rachel stopped and put her hands on her hips.

"Wait...how did you know? You've been in jail, and I doubt this old place still gets the newspapers," she said, and Lex sighed, turning in his chair to look at her.

"Rachel, dear, he's survived being stabbed with kryptonite on a kryptonite island which he later lifted into the sky; I'm pretty sure you can't drown him." said Lex, folding his arms. "If there's anything I've learned from previous experiences, it's to never underestimate your opponent."

Rachel furrowed her brow.

"Why hasn't he tossed you back in jail?" she asked. He hadn't seen her escape as he was landing in Metropolis, nor had he cared to find her so far. Maybe he didn't consider her a threat.

"Actually, that one I'm really not sure about. Maybe he was busy." (A/N: Note that Lex escaped a few chapters ago when Clark was unconscious in Bruce's house.)

"Oh...well, it won't be long until he finds out, you know," said Rachel, furrowing her brow and tapping an interestingly delicate object that was gathering dust on a bookshelf. Lex laughed dryly.

"I know...it won't be long...but that's why I have to work quickly. In the meantime, I have some friends who can distract him for more than enough time than I need."

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Well, it's not much...but I hope you like it. Once again, sorry it took so long, I was in a combo writer's block and working on a new story. It's for Troy, so if you're a Troyoholic, read it. If you haven't seen the movie, watch it. It was my #1 fav movie for a while...then Superman kicks in and they're competing. I'm not sure which one I like better. Anyway, it's a fantastic movie, gave me chills, just like superman returns, so watch it. If you watched it and didn't like it...I don't really know what to say. But Achilles is just as cool and tough as Superman...he just doesn't have superpowers )


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